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Tech Talk => Engine Mechanical / Electrical => Topic started by: Luckie Stiff on April 19, 2008, 08:54:31 AM

Title: Removing the vacuum advance...............
Post by: Luckie Stiff on April 19, 2008, 08:54:31 AM
On a Ford dizzy, what's involved? Can I just undo the screws and remove it or is there more to it than that?
Title: Re: Removing the vacuum advance...............
Post by: skee on April 19, 2008, 09:02:55 AM
I believe you also need to remove the lil "c" clip on the vac adv. arm on the plate inside the distrubutor  ::)
Title: Re: Removing the vacuum advance...............
Post by: crewchief22 on April 19, 2008, 09:34:02 AM
Are you just going to replace the existing vacuum pod?

If your trying to eliminate the vacuum advance altogether, you will need to lock down the advance plate somehow.
Title: Re: Removing the vacuum advance...............
Post by: Luckie Stiff on April 19, 2008, 11:25:58 AM
Are you just going to replace the existing vacuum pod?

If your trying to eliminate the vacuum advance altogether, you will need to lock down the advance plate somehow.

Chief-
How would I go about locking it down? Or better yet, can I remove it? Should I just put a cap on it? Or should I hook it up? I hate V/A stuff.
Title: Re: Removing the vacuum advance...............
Post by: crewchief22 on April 19, 2008, 02:16:33 PM
I've seen people just cut off the vacuum pod end and weld (JB weld, solder, whatever) the pushrod to the mounting.   

MSD makes a lockout plate for their distributors (GM style), I have not seen one for the Ford.
Title: Re: Removing the vacuum advance...............
Post by: speedymopars on April 20, 2008, 01:27:53 AM
The vac advance is an additional advance to the mechanical one - in other words, the disti has a standard mechanical advance, and the vaccum pod pulls an additional plate to give you more advance in light load situations.

I know on a mopar disti, the pod can just be pulled without doing anything else (the arm just pulls the stop plate more), you probably will have to look at yours to see if that is true on a ford.

Is there a reason for you to pull it?

If you say that it advances too much at idle - you have it plugged into the wrong port on the carb - it should be on the timed vaccum port which should have 0 inches at vaccum at idle and really anything below about 1500-1800 rpm.  On a holley this is the port on the primary side metering plate, right hand side, about an inch from the air cleaner. Not all Holley carbs have this port drilled, but they all have it cast.

It is safe to disconnect it and cap the vac port on the carb and disti (carb for vac leaks, disti to keep the water out). This will basically make it a mechanical advance disti.

I have found the vac advance disti's usually are worth more money than the std mechanical ones - you might pocket some cash if you sell yours and get a mechanical rathern than modify. Just a thought.

Title: Re: Removing the vacuum advance...............
Post by: Luckie Stiff on April 20, 2008, 08:53:43 AM
Speedy, the only reason I want to delete the advance pod is that it's ugly. I've got another dizzy that's going to Dave Rey for the small body HEI treatment but until then I am running the stocker. I reckon I'll just buy some vac caps and call it good.
Thanks!
Title: Re: Removing the vacuum advance...............
Post by: hotrod56cars on April 20, 2008, 09:07:10 AM
I've seen people just cut off the vacuum pod end and weld (JB weld, solder, whatever) the pushrod to the mounting...

X 2

... I reckon I'll just buy some vac caps and call it good.
Thanks!

There's no point in putting a cap on it, it has nothing to leak.
Title: Re: Removing the vacuum advance...............
Post by: speedymopars on April 20, 2008, 09:37:12 PM
X 2

There's no point in putting a cap on it, it has nothing to leak.

You aren't keeping vaccum in, you are keeping the water, rust, and dirt out.
Title: Re: Removing the vacuum advance...............
Post by: GAWnCA on April 20, 2008, 09:49:55 PM
You aren't keeping vaccum in, you are keeping the water, rust, and dirt out.

This one I don't understand.  My new Dizzy (marine Mallory) has a vent screen in it's side that leads directly to the interior. 
Title: Re: Removing the vacuum advance...............
Post by: speedymopars on April 21, 2008, 07:34:33 AM
...keeping it out of the rubber vaccum diaphram which is (more) sensitive to contaminants. The metal interior of the distributor takes decades upon decades of serious thrashing to have issues.

Honestly though, I have known many many people to run it open without issues for long times. Personally I feel it's just good practice.
Title: Re: Removing the vacuum advance...............
Post by: hotrod56cars on April 21, 2008, 07:52:14 AM
You aren't keeping vaccum in, you are keeping the water, rust, and dirt out.

True, but it's only keeping water, dirt, etc. out of the vacuum advance, not the distributor. Right?
Title: Re: Removing the vacuum advance...............
Post by: speedymopars on April 21, 2008, 09:37:47 PM
True, but it's only keeping water, dirt, etc. out of the vacuum advance, not the distributor. Right?

Correct. It will also make sure the vac advance plate doesn't move, the cap will seal the diaphram and lock it down so to speak. It shouldn't want to move, but it makes sure this way. It also makes it look like you WANT to run it that way, and didn't forget to hook something up :-)
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