Distributor Help

Hey everyone, I hope everyone had been getting a lot of time out on the water this summer. We have been taking the boat out quite a bit and have been having a ball. I have been getting some hard starting problems in the boat though. I have been playing with the carb settings making sure there are no drips after turning off the engine, getting the most steady vacuum as possible at idle under load and checking the timing.

All that looks good but I have noticed it is taking a while for the engine to come back to idle timing (minutes sometimes) so I figured something must be going on in the dizzy. I pulled it all apart and the springs are a bit rusty and the lighter spring is stretched a little. other than that it looks OK. I pulled the weights and the springs off, cleaned everything up then lubed and put the weights back on.

On to the question, where in the Heck can I find these springs? I just get a dumb look at Auto Zone, O'Riley and Advance Auto when I ask for the part. Once I finally get it through to them what I am looking for (Springs in hand) they can not find a clue in their computer. Napa actually knew what I was talking about but they could not find them in their computer or catalog. I tried a Performance shop here in town but they said they only have springs for GM or MSD and they would not work on a Ford. I only talked to them on the phone because they are only open when I am here at work.

I have one other option, a Distributor specialties store here in town but I figured I would check in with all you talented, knowledgeable peeps to see what you all thought before I went way out of the way to go to this store.

TIA guys!!

They are called----"Distributor Recurve Kits"
If the auto parts store can't find it for your boat then just pick a car of the same make and vintage as yours with the same engine----I assume a Ford Windsor type, like a 302 or 351----and any decent parts guy should get you covered from there.
Or better yet----just convert over to a GM HEI style distributor and everything becomes easier from here on. This works if your engine is a standard rotation engine---turns CW from the front of the engine---I say this because I haven't been able to find a distributor gear for these HEI distributors to change them over to reverse rotation for the CCW rotation marine engines. They are only $50 delivered off eBay. But just remember if you do convert then you must eliminate the ballist resistor that the points/external coil distributors use----its not needed with the electronic HEI units.
Hope some of this rambling helps.

TRBenj wrote: White lake has them listed for Prestolite dizzys... I would imagine n3 and SkiDIM probably have them too.

Thanks, I did not see them on SkiDim but did not check the other 2, I will now though. Thanks for the info.

Ya mean like these

http://www.nautiqueparts.com/distributorsprings.aspx