Smog Distributor

[Rutty]

Hi everyone,

I have a '69 2000 with a stock smog distributor. Just wondering if it's worth the effort/expense to re-curve it. What benefit will I see if I do this? Anyone have personal experience with this?
If I remember correctly it's currently timed to 0 deg. It seems a bit sluggish coming off the start.

Thanks,

[jrusso07]

It's well worth it, IMO. I recurved my 70 and my 69 (U20s). It allows you to advance the timing to 16 degrees BTDC. Much better throtte response and smoother idle.

[tjp]

Take the plunge and get an EI dizzy from East Coast Roadsters. Install, gap the plugs correctly for the EI unit, set the timing and forget. No more points to set and worry about fouling.

[jrusso07]

I have the East Coast E-dizzy on my 70. (Thanks Dave!). Works great but other than the points/condenser maintenace, the recurved cars run just as well. I say this because I had one of the recurved dizzys in the 70 with the e-dizzy.

[david premo]

FYI you should never run a “smog “ distributor if all the additional components are not there. The way system was designed, it retarded the timing to 0 and leaned the enigine, as a safety measure a thermo vacuum valve was installed on the water outlet. The function of this was to open the distributor to manifold vacuum when the engine would get too hot at idle which advanced the timing and engage the clutch fan to cool the engine down. After the cool down cycle it would revert to 0 degree timing until the engine needed to cool down again. All the cars of the late 60’s till the end of analog fuel and ignition systems would do this. The purposes being to make more complete combustion at higher temperatures and clean up the tailpipe emissions. Additionally they added a air “smog” pump that would inject fresh air into the exhaust manifold to keep the burn going for as long as possible. All this said it’s a very bad idea to run your car with a emissions distributor without the number one safety device that keeps your engine from burning up or detonating, the thermo vacuum valve. Engine run best with advanced distributors with limited advance at full throttle, depending on fuel octane, compression and type of cam used.

[Rutty]

Thanks guys for your responses.
I'll have to decide if I want to get an EI dizzy ($$$) or just go with a re-curved one with points and condenser ($$). It sounds like either one would be worth the money spent.
David, the smog pump and the vacuum lines are still on the car. However, the top nipple is broken off of the vacuum valve. I think the line that should be going to the top nipple is tee'd into the line going to the middle nipple. When I get the re-curved distributor should I leave the smog pump and vacuum lines where they are or remove them?

Thanks,

[david premo]

Matt, once the distributor is recurved you do not need anything else. The additional components are part of the emission system with the smog distributor.
Dave

[Rutty]

Good to know about the emissions equipment.

Thanks,

[FergO2k]

Free to make your won choice of course, but here is my .02 cents. (or is that 2 cents, adjusted for inflation)
Yes, springing for an EI dizzy was some bucks, but someone (forget who, but with huge background and technical knowledge like Dave) pointed out that the slop in the dizzy bearings cause the point gap to vary an awful lot.
Installing an EI dizzy removes this altogether, as it is now optical, and you then gap the points to a larger gap.
In terms of my own car, it "removed 50% of all the carb problems", which it turned out stemmed from all smog parts removed, non-curved dizzy that was quite sloppy.
This is a one-time, "set it and forget it" fix, much like braided metal clutch hoses, once you do them you WILL never have to return there.

[bossbob]

FYI you should never run a “smog “ distributor if all the additional components are not there. The way system was designed, it retarded the timing to 0 and leaned the enigine, as a safety measure a thermo vacuum valve was installed on the water outlet. The function of this was to open the distributor to manifold vacuum when the engine would get too hot at idle which advanced the timing and engage the clutch fan to cool the engine down. After the cool down cycle it would revert to 0 degree timing until the engine needed to cool down again. All the cars of the late 60’s till the end of analog fuel and ignition systems would do this. The purposes being to make more complete combustion at higher temperatures and clean up the tailpipe emissions. Additionally they added a air “smog” pump that would inject fresh air into the exhaust manifold to keep the burn going for as long as possible. All this said it’s a very bad idea to run your car with a emissions distributor without the number one safety device that keeps your engine from burning up or detonating, the thermo vacuum valve. Engine run best with advanced distributors with limited advance at full throttle, depending on fuel octane, compression and type of cam used.

So, can this be why my engine is getting hot at idle. A while back I set the timing to stock, if I recall 16* btdc previously it set way high, like maybe 34*.
The car is a smog car with all components gone, can't tell you if the distributor was ever addressed. 1st time I was able to drive it, it just didn't feel like it all there. Set the timing to 16* and no power at all but seems to idle better. Keep in mind, the farthest I've driven it, is around the block.

When I start it just to keep everything turning the temp gets to the top of the gauge but doesn't boil over. The gauge used to hang around the middle.

Thanks,

[Gregs672000]

Do yourself and the engine a favor and remove all the smog stuff and either recurve the dizzy or get the EI. One thing not mentioned is that you get a better spark from the EI than you do stock. I experienced this first hand when Bill B and I were developing the first ones (*) as I was doing the old "hey, let's pull the coil wire and see what the spark looks like and how far the spark will arc" trick. Did Bills 67 1600 with the stock system first, observing the spark and pulling the wire away from the cap til it stopped arcing. Then when I did the EI, not only was the spark much stronger and could pull much further away from the cap, it shocked me so bad I could not let go of it until Bill turned off the ignition, laughing at me of course (stupid is as stupid does, and yes it made my bones ache!), and the was with the stock coil. The car simply runs better in my opinion, and though I have no objective data I bet it gets better milage and has fewer emissions. I believe the EI dizzy is one of the best upgrades you can do.
* The very first one I saw must be credited to a guy, name unknown and from the Napa Valley, who attended Shasta #3, who had converted a stock Nissan to his Roadster. I took the idea back to Bill, and we made the first one that would eventually be marketed by others (Les as I recall).

[68DSU]

I think I may want to put an E-dizzy on my wish list but I have a quick question.
One reason I like my roadster is that I have been able to throw in a set of points on the side of I-80 in Berkeley and gap them with the tab of the box they came in. Is an E-dizzy that forgiving and easy to work on?

[theunz]

while the electronic distributor is undoubtedly a better performing ignition, i`m a little like Rick. I have been left stranded by an electronic, but never by a points type distributor!

[Linda]

Just carry a spare module.
I had a spring break and had to disassemble to replace. Read up on the procedure first.
The benefits far outweigh the risk of failure.
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=27856&hilit=Broken+ ... 15#p252434
Tom was very helpful in providing tech support, as well as a spring.
Linda

[Gregs672000]

Never had mine fail in all the years I ran mine.