okay. issues. i did it your way mr buchannan (hope i spelt that right) and have comt to an issue
1. when i turn the motor to point on ignition cam where 1-4 are open widest and set gap, i then hook up a 12 volt test light and roll the motor 1 full revolution. with ignition on, the points dont begin to open until the "T" mark..............i verified this from the "F" mark using a feeler guage........at the "T" mark is just under ..2" gap. the issues is the test light comes on way before that and stays on almost all the way to where 2-3 start to open.and when i rock the timing plate, the light never flickers. Now i aint smartest in class, but i know this aint right.
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Maybe I read this wrong, but it seems like you're confusing two different adjustments.
The points gap adjustment is to set the dwell (how long the points are open/closed), and adjusting them affects the timing adjustment, but just setting the points gap won't mean your timing is correct. After you set the gap you need to then adjust the timing by turning the whole plate (for the 1-4 timing)
As noted in the original post "
Now remember that after you set your points gaps for both 1-4 and 2-3 you gotta probably swivel the plate to bring in that dead on spot with the timing light. If you are gonna loosen the main plate, you must remember to put your shim in there til it is cinched back down. If not you just reintro'd your discrepancy. Keep using the shim to eliminate it. For those not used to setting the points remember that the light will switch on when you open the points. That is when you stop turning the big nut and see how close you are. The main idea is to see that light switch when you hit that f hash mark if not keep fiddling. The place to place the test lead is on the yellow or blue wire where it attaches to the points it is plenty sufficient."
or maybe you're saying you already tried that but it's still too far off. In that case, the only thing I can think of is maybe you set the gap wrong When you say "
I turn the motor to point on ignition cam where 1-4 are open widest and set gap" how did you actually do this? If you're timing is already off you need to actually watch the points opening and closing and adjust the gap when they are at their most open point. If you're just turning the motor to the spot where the points are suppose to be at their greatest opening, it might not actually be at that spot and you'd be setting the wrong gap.
Others may know the answer to you second question... I'd be interested to know as well.