Prestolite Points

Ive used one in a car, it's fine and it will get you up and running, and at that price its got to be a better option than an old points dist.

Track down the one with built in coil and without vac advance

I guess I've done my share of points and condenser installations. Some guidelines might help.

The only condensers that I've ever had go bad were new ones and sometimes they didn't go bad for a couple of months. Save the old ones in a bag. You'll be glad you did.

Points can be examined, filed flat to slightly rounded (remember the electrons want a good place to jump across) and readjusted. Use a dwell meter especially on a Prestolite distributer. Feeler gauges are for the very talented. Thats NOT me.

Use the correct rotor and cap but if you can get them with brass contacts. They will last a long time if you do. Save the old ones if they are in good shape.

The quality of this stuff is not as good as it used to be, which is why I buy Echlin parts, usually from NAPA. The quality and reputation are pretty good. Often on friends boats, I simply examine the points to see that contact material is adequate, examine the rotor and cap for wear or shavings, reset the dwell, set the timing and they never have a problem.

If you use your boat a lot and hopefully you do, Maybe do this once a year. Dwell meters and timing lights are well worth owning.

I picked up a brand new Prestolite marine distributor on ebay recently for less than $50. It was for a 429/460 so I had to change the gear.

I am using an MSD 6AL which will work well with points also. The new distributor yielded no improvement using the MSD on both.

I ran the MSD with points for years. With this set up there is no need to set dwell. As long as the points open and close it works perfectly.

I didn't read all the posts here and someone probably mentioned already: You can use points for a small block mopar in the Prestolite distributor. I think you'll have to change the spring with the original points but the sb mopar points will work.

Matt

8122pbrainard wrote: Chris, I did a tune up on my 4 cyl. Mercruiser last summer and the condenser didn't even come with a bracket. Trying to remove the old one to use, I too thought it was welded on and even looked for spot weld marks! Some work was need to R&R it.

The 3 marks on the bracket are not spot welds. Look real close and you'll see they a "half punches" creating dimples on the inside to keep the condenser from rotating - but, the bracket is tight!!! I don't know why they need the dimples!!

BTW, a half punch in the metal stamping industry is basically a regular punch that doesn't go all the way through the piece part when the press closes. Depending on the size difference between the punch (male) and the die (female) it will produce the dimple like the condenser bracket or a "knockout" like you find in a electric box.

Thanks for everyone's help on tracking down equivalent part numbers. The Bosch GA-94V were the correct points.

I fitted them and adjusted gap to 18 thou. The dwell meter still said only 20 degrees.
I then opened gap slowly to achieve the minimum dwell of 29 degrees. It turned out to be 25 thou gap.

I adjusted timing to 10 degrees it runs & idles fine but when I rev it over 3000rpm even with no load it runs rough. I then returned gap to 18 thou and the engine revs fine now.

After sitting around and thinking what else could be wrong to cause the low dwell angle reading. I decided that if dwell angle is the amount of time the points are closed measured in degrees. Then decreasing the points gap should increase dwell and I was going the wrong way? But then why was the dwell angle increasing while I was opening gap?

Getting a bit rusty on the old points setup. My last boat had a 350 SBC with the little window in the cap to adjust points while motor was running. Not sure if it was increasing or decreasing gap to get the required dwell angle.

Will try closing gap tomorrow and see what happens. Anyone have any further ideas as what may be the cause of low dwell reading? Could it be the condensor?

Today I closed the gap up and the dwell angle decreased. So I was going the correct way originally.

Returned gap to 18 thou (20 degrees). I even tried a condensor just to rule it out with no change in dwell.

I checked points gap at every lobe of distributor points cam they were the same. Running out of ideas as to cause of low dwell angle.


Will water test with this setting and see what happens.

Had forgotten to post final outcome of this thread.

Yes with points set at 18 thou the boat runs fine. So in my case I have decided to join the ignorant.

Will leave dwell meter in the tool chest.

lewy2001 wrote: Managed to delve through a few more ignition books at my mates auto store. Keno you were close:- Chrysler New Yorker 58-62 Dodge Imperial 58-60 Dodge 65-67 383,413,426 Dodge Truck 58-60 Hudson 56-58 When you tell the auto store employee it is for a boat with a 351W in it you get a blank look at the best. All they want to know is what car it is out of and what year.

Chopper maybe some early Aussie Valiants (US translation is Dodge/Chrysler) used similiar ignition systems as their US counterparts probably the 225ci slant six motor.