Tune up question

[Sten-man]

I am not a mechanic and I have a question. I need to install new points, condenser and rotor in my 62 m37 B1. I have all the military manuals. They all say to remove the distributor to install these items. My question is it necessary to remove the distributor and can the points etc. be installed with out removal.
Thanks

[Jason Mills]

You can replace the points with the distributor still in the vehicle.

but I think it is easier to do it on your work bench or tailgate if that is the case.. and get the point gap close to being right.

I'm no expert ether, and yet It is my understanding that having the points set accurately is important to ignition timing, life span of the contact points, and overall effectiveness of the ignition system.

Pulling the distributor is not too hard, and if you have the manuals as well as a timing light you are all set when it comes to putting the distributor back in the engine.

[Sten-man]

Thanks, I'll try that.
Don

[Charles Talbert]

While you have it out, check the shaft for sidewise movement, any at all is too much and will surely affect engine performance at higher RPM's and cranking, especially in cold temps. Timing should be set on 4* BEFORE TDC for optimum perfomance.

[Sten-man]

Thanks,
Don

[Doc Dave]

While you have it out, check the shaft for sidewise movement, any at all is too much and will surely affect engine performance at higher RPM's and cranking, especially in cold temps. Timing should be set on 4* BEFORE TDC for optimum perfomance.

Thank you for pointing this out to all the readers. A few years ago I was having trouble getting my Dodge engine right and Charles let me know about this. The Dodge owner's manual has it at 2 degrees ATDC (for my civilian), which is wrong.
Also, the distributor information reminds me of way back when in the '70's, I was having trouble with my straight six Chevy running erratically. Turned out the distributor shaft was worn and it was wobbling around a bit. Replacing it and the associated bushing solved the problem.

[Deathdeelr]

I'm no expert ether, and yet It is my understanding that having the points set accurately is important to ignition timing, life span of the contact points, and overall effectiveness of the ignition system.

The purpose of setting the correct gap in the contact points is to insure you have a long enough duration of spark to properly burn the fuel/air in the cylinder and to make the most power with the least amount of wear. Very generally, when the points are closed the electrical system charges the ignition coil. When the points open the coil is triggered and fires a spark plug (the rotor in the distributor decides which plug gets the juice depending on where it's pointing). When the points close the coil is grounded which stops juicing the spark plug and recharges the coil for the next firing. If your six cylinder is idling at 600 rpm, this cycle (charge, open, fire, close, charge) happens 60 times a second. If you shift the truck at 3000 rpm this is happening 300 times per second.

If the gap is set too large, the coil will fire too long. This can cause detonation or pinging and will cause the point contacts to arc and burn out. You might also wear out spark plugs and cause the coil to overheat. If the gap is set too small, the coil won't have enough time to charge up for the next cycle, causing a weak spark. The engine might load up and run rich making it look like a carburetor problem. You might end up with fouled plugs, hard starting, and a raw fuel smell at the tail pipe.

[Sten-man]

Sorry it took me so long to respond. My 90 year old mother who thinks she is 30, fell and broke her arm. She is doing well and I thank you for you response.
Don