I had this problem a while back, truck’s ignition points looked nearly new, but some form of surface corrosion/contamination was preventing full current flow. My sol’n at the time was to remove the points from the distributor and scrape the two conducting surfaces, then reinstall the points. worked ok, but a fiddly job when done in a retail store parking lot with poor lighting.
I got to thinking maybe there’s an easier way? For example what if I removed only the dist cap, cranked the engine enough to set the points to full closed , then flicked the points with my finger several time to create a current surge, several of which would hopefully burn the corrosion/contamination away? Anyone here have experience with this problem?
I should have been more clear about the circumstances. No points file. . I had to do this in a parking lot, & only had a few tools, screwdriver, knife, pliers. I did have a volt ohm meter though.
Yeah point file. I’ve got one somewhere yet but nothing has points now. You could always use some Emory cloth or fine wet or dry. What kind of store was it you were parked at? Just go in and get an Emory board for nails at the cosmetic dept.
When I had a car with points, I carried a points file with me. But a small piece of 400 grit emory paper worked just fine dragged through the closed points a few times.
In a pinch a book of matches can be used… the striker strip to sand the points and the cover to set the gap…
The real solution is to chuck the points in the bin and install a Pertronix ignitor in place of the points… Problem solved permanently.
So what is the problem? remembering kind of if it pits on one side a bad ground connection. Don’t remember which one. Pitts on the other side bad Pos connection. Can be tuned with a dwell meter, will sell you one cheap!
Flick the points with your finger and you can crack / break the contacts. If you have room for all the other tools you said you had on hand you have plenty of room for a points file. A file is the only correct way to clean points.
Here is an idea, how about doing what most people that are not on the Concours d’Elegance show circuit and drive, not trailer their vehicles everywhere do… And you will NEVER have to file or mess with points ever again…
To me hanging on to points is like hanging on to 6V generator systems, if not a show vehicle, and I really doubt George’s truck is on the show tour…
Filing points to add new life is a tried-and-true method. But make sure you re-gap them. Too much buildup on the points could me you have a bad capacitor.
For older cars, one of the best upgrades is to upgrade to electronic ignition. Save you a lot of headaches.
Another great upgrade (but more expensive) is remove the car and add fuel injection. Single-point injection is the cheapest route.
Back in the '60s I had Points File, similar to the ones depicted in your link… But mine had a sliding guide that had a hole in it to allow one of the contacts to fit into. Then when you filed the points, it held the file squarly in the center and prevented the file from sliding out. I also used emory paper back them to smooth the points out and i used a march book cover to “shine” them further… Any thing to save a buck… L L . . .
On my 68 dodge, I always had a heck of a time getting the point gap right. I finally had a mechanic do it for me. Then life changed with the 74 olds, and the window on the distributor and the dwell meter. I have no idea why everyone didn’t do this.
I still have a points file somewhere. Points files were harder than most other files, but in an emergency, any abrasive will work for a while. But once you start filing the points, they aren’t much longer for the world anyway so it is time to plan their replacement.
That is not likely corrosion you see on the points, unless they have been sitting for years. They pit and burn over time because of that small arc you see every time they open. If they fail prematurely, then you have a bad condenser, so replace it when you replace the points.
I constructed a diy’er points feeler gauge for my truck’s carry-along repair kit. A short length of copper wire w/the correct diameter, glued to a stick.
A dwell meter is definitely a convenient way to check the point gap. I think your biggest problem making the sale of your unit is very few point-equipped cars still on the road … lol …
I am sorry, but I would have bought some really cheap feeler gauges for my carry along kit… I cannot image that trying set the gap on a set of points, while leaning over an engine, possible in the dark, and with the fear of dropping a screw into the bottom of the distributer, could be an easy thing. If the points are set just t bit too tight, how do you ever slip that itty-bitty wire between the strong spring actin of the points?
Actually, my carry tool box include not only the feeler gauges, but a cheap Tac/Dwell Meter, aand a remote starter switch, a small socket set, several sizes of common and Philips screwdrivers, pliers, wire cutters, channel locks, vice grips, and wire ( both electrical and coat-hanger wire (for tiring up something loose…). And not to forget the big 4-lug lug-nut wrench…
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