Electronic distributor questions

[cstudep]

So I need to order some new rubber boots for the CV joints, ball joints and the steering rack as they are all split.

I have been thinking of converting over to an electronic distributor and thought this might be a good time to get one since I need to order other stuff anyway.

I currently have an Aldon Yellow with vac advance, I see they have an "electronic conversion" setup that appears to just replace the guts of the points Aldon.

Anyone have any experience with these, or am I better off just getting a 123? I also may travel down the fuel injection road in the future so would that make any difference it what I get, would it need to be programmable for that? Do I need the vac advance or not? These things aren't exactly cheap so i would just as soon get the correct thing from the start.

[MiniDave]

Dan has a CSI for sale right now, worked a treat and has vac advance.

Depending on which EFI you use, it may want a crank sensor or a dizzy to run the timing.

I have no experience with the Aldon, but I don't think Dan is a fan right now - you'd have to ask him.....

[94touring]

I really like my csi unit.  Aldons customer service is 0.  The csi has a yellow equivalent curve.

[cstudep]

Yeah unfortunately his is for an A+ and my engine is a pre. I saw in a thread of his that he was none too happy with Aldon, can't say that I blame him really.

I basically know nothing about any of the fuel injection stuff so thought it was at least worth asking. I have been reading up on the fuel injection area to try and learn as much as I can about it. Depending on how your experimenting goes with the Holley that might be the direction I take if I venture down that road, although reading through Dan's build thread on his 74 doing a turbo build would be a whole load of fun. So many options so little time/money. LOL

I may just break down and start clean over on the 1960. I have no idea what has been done to the motor in it as I bought it in it's current state. Going through the receipts the guy gave me with the car I found an order for a single .60 over piston, which makes no sense to me but it was also with a bunch of other random stuff like stickers, a t-shirt, a magazine and a hat, so I am wondering if it was for a gift or decoration or something random like that. I do not see any receipts for head work but that does not necessarily mean it wasn't done. I have documentation for a dual timing chain kit, the kent 266 cam, rings (but it is hand written from a place called Craigs Auto so no details), competition head gasket set and he had a Weber 45 DCOE on it. Not sure why you would go to all that trouble and not get some head work done on it.

It also has a terrible oil leak somewhere I cannot quite pinpoint but it gets slung all over the inside of the hood via the alternator belt. Lots of RTV used on the timing cover/etc.. so that seems the likely area for it.

If I go to the trouble of pulling the motor though, I will probably just strip the whole car down as it is in bad need of a new paint job. There is also a body work question I have for Dan, as he seems to be the guru in the that department, but perhaps that is best left for a different thread since have already gone way off topic here.

[94touring]

If I were to do it over I'd buy a CB Performance black box, but for a turbo setup.  Otherwise I'd stick with my CSI.

[MiniDave]

Not to hi jack the thread further, but I would pull the head and take a look at the valves - if it hasn't had hardened seats put in it needs a valve job. If it has, and the bores look OK, put it back on and run it for a while. But that front end oil leak is a problem, because it will mix with dust in the air and clog the radiator.....I've seen a couple do this including my own car.

Those Weber side drafts make good power, but MAN are they noisy! An HIF44 will do as well and be more fuel efficient too.

[cstudep]

That CB performance black box is a pretty neat looking setup, even for a non turbo setup.

Yeah I probably need to pull the head and take a look at it. How does one tell if it has had hardened seats put in, will it be obvious? I have never had the head off of one of these engines yet.

And since we are totally off topic anyway here is the question I had for Dan. Any idea what the issue is here and what has to be done to fix it? I know it should be pretty straight from the front wheel well to the back. It may be hard to see in these pictures but it is very obvious in person to see. between the rear wheel well and and about midpoint of the door it either bulges out a bit or goes in a bit. I assume this was just poor fit up from the work that was done as I have found other less than stellar welding and such as well but not real sure. I suppose this could also be some sort of crash damage maybe. Perhaps putting a straight edge on it would help determine whether the issue is bowing out under the door or bowing in behind it, maybe it does a little of both? This is a 20 year old restoration now as well, receipts are all from 2000ish time frame.

[MiniDave]

I'll answer the head question.....if you can see a ring around outside of the valve, it probably has hardened seats, when they do this work they cut out the seat and insert a hardened ring into the head, then grind that to match the valve profile.

[cstudep]

Thanks for the info Dave, that is how I thought it worked but honestly have never seen one. I know they have to do it thanks to the unleaded gas these days but didn't know how obvious it would be.

I will probably pull the head over the winter and take a look. Should a guy get new head studs on these motors or is it ok to reuse them? I do most all my own mechanic work but have never actually had to have a head off anything. I know in a lot of newer stuff head studs are a single use item.

[John Gervais]

Well, I'll be the guy who has had great customer service from Aldon, even got a free baseplate, proper condenser (probably from The Distributor Doctor) & their 'S'-upgraded heavy-duty contact breaker points from them and a few extra (used) screws when I'd sent a distributor to them for re-curving.

That said, my Aldon Yellow without vacuum advance is fitted with a Lumenition Optronic optical system and the 'points' setup are sitting in plastic tub in the boot - just in case.  They've been in there so long, I probably wouldn't remember how to install them.

I like it.

[MiniDave]

You can reuse the studs, but new ones are not expensive unless you get the ARP ones.

Nothing real critical about the work on these, be sure to replace the short hose between the water pump and head, and put it on before you install the head - also put a new water pump on, they're really inexpensive.

Check the pushrods to make sure they're straight by rolling them on a flat surface.

Look at the ends of the rocker arms where they hit the valve stems and make sure they're not worn badly. Plan for a new rocker shaft - unless it's new it will have wear on it. Make sure you install the rocker pedestals back where they came from, and install the little screw that keeps the shaft from turning. If your engine has the rear covers pop them off and pull out the lifters and check to see if they're pitted or worn, if they are pull the motor, they used the wrong oil (didn't have zinc in it) and it needs a new cam and oil pump, as well as bearings.

Or, just pull it and send it to me, I've done these for decades and know pretty much all the tricks and foibles.

[cstudep]

thanks for the info Dave, I know you are a wealth of knowledge on these motors and I am trying to learn all that I can.

I do make sure to use high zinc oil, but of course I have no idea what was used in it previously. I have a feeling he may have had the odometer reset on the spedo when he had it redone, and if that is the case it only shows 2400ish miles on it. Based on the receipts I bought it off the guy about 9 years after his rebuild. I have had it for about 11 years.

[94touring]

That panel lip should be straight.  Not sure what the deal is with yours.

[MiniDave]

Actually, that seam has a very slight outward bend or curve, from the back to the front, they said so on Binky..... 8.gif