Who is the current go to guy for rebuilding and setting up the 65 HiPo dual point distributor for a GTt350. Have one that needs the right magic fingers to make it spot on correct for a 65 GT350.
PM or e-mail with reliable references/recommendations please.
mygt350@aol.com
Hi, it was a few years ago but a guy called Tim O'Connor did mine from memory in a small town near Indiana. I'll try pull his email out, not sure is he is still doing them?
He did a great job!
Here you go, I found his website
http://428cobrajetcars.com/
Not sure if he is taking new jobs
Jim or rockhouse66 on the 428 Cobra Jet forum. Done two for me. Restores and has old school distributor machine. Returns with a graph of your curve, and he can customize it if you want something other than stock. Rick.
Looks like he is having health issues. Dang. Below is the note off his site.
CLOSED until further notice. Please do not send at this time. I will no longer be in the shop. Health issues have to be addressed immediately. I still have many of these parts in stock. Please include your email address.Sorry for any inconviencies this may cause. Thanks
Cory
Found Jim's number. 770-823-1370
I am interested in getting my distributor restored as well... I found this on the "DEAD NUTS ON" website;
https://rockhouseracing.com/
Quote from: bluemax on November 16, 2021, 08:57:41 PM
I am interested in getting my distributor restored as well... I found this on the "DEAD NUTS ON" website;
https://rockhouseracing.com/
He is the same one as in reply #3 . Jim is well thought of.
Thanks gentleman. Will give Jim a call and see if he can help me out.
I have it locked away somewhere, but my filing system is failing me, again.
Can someone please tell me what the correct initial and mechanical advance is correct for a 65 GT350 HiPo engine?
Thanks!!!
Small block 289 Hipo with iron heads and 4 speed.
Assume target timing is 38 degrees total with 18 degrees initial with 20 degrees mechanical.
Verify number one cylinder on compression stroke. If number one piston is truly at top dead center, timing marker should point to TDC mark on balancer.
Is distributor dropped with rotor pointing to desired location of number one plug wire with balancer at TDC or is engine rotated to a location other than zero, such as 35-40 degrees before top dead center mark on balancer before install distributor rotor to point to desired number one plug wire?
Quote from: mygt350 on November 20, 2021, 01:06:49 PM
Small block 289 Hipo with iron heads and 4 speed.
Assume target timing is 38 degrees total with 18 degrees initial with 20 degrees mechanical.
Verify number one cylinder on compression stroke. If number one piston is truly at top dead center, timing marker should point to TDC mark on balancer.
Is distributor dropped with rotor pointing to desired location of number one plug wire with balancer at TDC or is engine rotated to a location other than zero, such as 35-40 degrees before top dead center mark on balancer before install distributor rotor to point to desired number one plug wire?
The distributor is dropped with rotor pointing to desired location of number one plug wire with balancer at TDC (or stopped at the initial timing of 10 degrees etc.) on the compression stroke . In a perfect world it will just drop in . Reality is that most likely the oil pump drive will not line up with the drive opening on the bottom of the distributor shaft and the the gears on the cam will not easily mesh with the distributor gear . It should go with a little fiddling. Only if you are trying to be historically correct and for the plug wires to fit properly as designed is the indexing of the dist body once it goes down. The front cap clip should be basically directly centered forward facing and the rear clip opposite the front when the the distributor is properly installed and timed. This makes the rear clip somewhat hard to clip given the high rise intake runner but that is just the way it was done. At least it was engineered from the factory to be like that. This is one of the most common mistakes I see when concours judging 65-67 GT350. If you don't care about those kinds of things then disregard.
Thanks for the clip alignment tip Bob.
Set timing mark to zero on balancer after confirming number one at TDC.
Stab distributor with cap clips parallel to engine centerline and rotor pointing to number one plug at terminal marked 1 at approx 1PM position on cap.
Start engine and adjust distributor case to read whatever initial timing is desired (i.e. 10-12, 18 degrees) at idle.
Then verify mechanical plus initial advance gets close to desired total advance target.
initial + mechanical = total advance.
Am I getting sorta close?
.
Yes. But put the engine at 10-12 BTDC, not TDC, before installing distributor. I put a timing light in number one plug with key on then turn distributor until light flashes. The engine is timed at that point. Just my preference.
Rick
How is that different than setting to TDC and turning dizzy till it gets 10-12 initial at idle.
Same. Just when I start it I don't have to adjust anymore. I just check it.
Rick - Got it!
Did the 2 points plate machine screws use a star or split washer? Same for the 4 machine screws for the points and the single on the condenser?
Sometimes too much manuda.
No washers under those screws.
Thank you Jim.
Have seen couple pictures of the screw heads holding the points place to the distributor case that are Phillips as well as flat but significantly more that are flat. Can you confirm correct are common and like the points and condenser, do not use a washer of any kind?
Thanks!
I stumbled across my copy of Bob Mannels excellent reference book and found a picture of a correct 65 HiPo distributor in Chapter 5. No washers anywhere and all screws common. Knew I had it somewhere, but filing system failing, like me...
Here is a picture of the original type screws from Ford Hi Perf 289 ,C5OF-E distributor. The two on left hold plate to body. (Note split washers)The four in center hold points to plate.( called binding head,no washers) The screws on right show the two most common screw used to attach condenser. ( small diameter head to clear cam. Either internal tooth or external tooth lock) one attaches condenser.
Just trying to give accurate info to help preserve originality.
Note: my picture rotated during upload.Left is bottom now :)
I went back to the picture in Bod Mannels book and used magnifier to take close look at the points plate attaching screws. Missed it on first look but indeed, the two plate attaching screws used a split washer, just like the picture you posted!
Am looking at the bottom side of the screws used to secure the points. From your picture, there appears to be a slight shoulder under the surface of the screw. Gotta go out to the cave and take look at the points screws I have to see if they are correct...Jim C always used to say I was just a bit Anal on stuff never see. Yep.
Was looking at couple distributor shafts and noticed a slight difference in how the reluctor (points cam) is separated from the top plate welded to the top of the long distributor shaft.
One shaft has a brass colored washer between cam and shaft. Other has a stamped "spacer" with two tangs bent 90 degrees and protruding thru 2 holes in plate at top of shaft. Both do same function, but curious why and when change was made.
I apologize if I mislead.
Can anyone tell me if the original C5OF-12127-E dual point HiPo distributors were set up for 20 or 26 degrees of mechanical advance and what the dwell number is supposed to be. Seems like I remember each point set was at 26 degrees with total dwell between 30-33 degrees.
Can anyone tell me if the original C5OF-12127-E dual point HiPo distributors in the GT350's were set up for 20 or 26 degrees of mechanical advance and what the dwell number is supposed to be. Seems like I remember each point set was at 26 degrees with total dwell between 30-33 degrees.