So I finally gave it a tune up...

[pvfjr]

...and the carb only caught on fire 3 times! But after the fuel evaporated, the choke cooled off and the distributor was retarded a little, she fired right up. It's still not perfect though, I think I may have an advance issue. The little weights and springs seem a little screwed up. When I pry them outward, they don't exactly spring back in place on their own. It all seems kinda stiff, and is a little rusty. I'm not sure what I need to do to that, but the people down at schuck's weren't very helpful. Would I be better off just buying a new dist, or should I keep fooling around with this one? The engines seems to hesitate a little before taking off, I am starting to think it could be advance related. The condition of the vacuum advance is kinda in question as well.

I've already gotten a new cap and rotor, can/should I buy a dist minus those? Where would be a good place to get one? Ebay? I already scored there with the wires and plugs... What should I watch out for?

 

[dyeager535]

You can buy rebuild kits for the advance mechanism for not much money, might be worth doing that.

 

[pvfjr]

Thanks, that's kinda what I'm looking for. I don't mind doing a little work. Where would I find one of those, should a regular parts store have one? Or should I go to the dealership for that?

 

[RaisedK5]

First i'd try dissassembling the distributor and cleaning the whole thing, unless you have excessive play in the shaft. if the shaft itself wobbles around then get a rebuilt dist. Mine originally was all gummed up and nasty inside, i pulled it, took off the gear, pulled out the shaft, took the whole advance apart, cleaned it up good, lube it up good with dielectric grease and put it back together, made a world of difference.

 

[pvfjr]

I might try that, but I think I'll need to at least replace the springs. They look pretty bad.

 

[dyeager535]

IIRC the kit I bought was a Moroso curve kit. Any speed shop should carry them for GM HEI. Also IIRC, they don't come with the plastic bushing, (the one the weight slides on, not the one the weight pivots on) those are sometimes shot, hopefully not in your case. Don't believe there is a source for those, at least not that anyone has found.

A good speed shop can also bush the distributor shaft if it's loose, but if the shaft is shot from wear, time for a new distributor. You can also buy a Moroso(?) shim kit that will allow you to reduce endplay on the distributor shaft at the cam gear end. Easy to do.