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March 2, 2008
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Yeah, right! On DWF we always talk about setting the gap, today I had to set set the gap on
A Spark Plug!!! I needed a new spark plug on my snow blower . The new one is Japanese 
, and I dug pretty deep into the old toolbox to find a plug wrench and feeler gauges for spark plugs.
Anyone remember when you went inside the distributor and set the gap on your points, much less cleaned and gapped your plugs?
Truth be told, on my car, I need to look at the Owners Manual to find out how to Open the hood, I just take the car in for service when notified on my Smart Phone (a WHOLE different subject). I authorize the service that the hot looking Service Adviser (steady boys, it's always almost a Super Model) says needs to be done, enjoy the free coffee/WiFi/cable TV in the waiting area, and drive away happy. I'm probably too old for most of this stuff.
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
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Dans Club
December 4, 2011
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I had a Mustang with a dual point distributor. I remember setting them with a match book cover once when I didn't have any feeler gages with me. Also timing by ear, when it knocked, back it off a little. AH the good ole days.
Anything worth doing is worth doing well.
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If a man designed it, and a man built it, then a man can fix it.
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December 19, 2014
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Yeah, the good ol' days. Say what!? My still-in-use '65 landcruiser has a non-original engine - '58 vintage Chevy 283 with a 4bbl carb, and it HAD a distributer that needed the points gapped, etc. but when it needed to be replaced ($400+ for a rebuild, really?) I slapped on an el cheapo electronic distributer for $50 and it's been running great for 15k miles and 5 years (yeah, this is a ranch vehicle, don't go very far or very fast most of the time through the hills).
So Steve, did you gap your snowblower plug at 0.006 with the magic DW gapper, eh? I've heard that you can get by with as little as 0.002 until it heats up, then it might lock up 
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February 22, 2009
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Still set the gap on my points and file the contacts too. Suzuki mini truck's rock!
Technically, the glass is always full; half liquid, half air....
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February 16, 2013
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Still have points on my 1973 Moto Guzzi!
Yup and I still ride it!
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February 28, 2009
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SCORPIO said
I had a Mustang with a dual point distributor. I remember setting them with a match book cover once when I didn't have any feeler gages with me. Also timing by ear, when it knocked, back it off a little. AH the good ole days.
I do remember doing that stuff. And then going to the local airport and filling it with av-gas and resetting the timing.
-Mike
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December 4, 2011
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The blue av-gas always made mine run better. 100/130 I think it was.
Anything worth doing is worth doing well.
My father
If a man designed it, and a man built it, then a man can fix it.
My grandfather
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April 20, 2010
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I still change and gap my own sparkpugs, but the last vehicle I had with a points distributor was a '68 Torino that I sold in 2002. I owned many cars over the years with points, my daily driver for years was a '69 F100 until 1999, when I finally gave in to fuel injected computerized vehicles.
"The lion and the tiger may be more powerful, but the Wolf does not perform in the circus"
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February 28, 2009
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I had a '68 Torino on order when I got drafted. It was supposed to be my college graduation present to myself. Had to cancel the order. I'm amazed you kept yours so long.
-Mike
February 21, 2011
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Anyone remember tuning the carbs with the see through spark plugs where you tweaked mixture for an electric blue flame?
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November 27, 2014
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Way back when I was younger I raced super stock figure eight cars we would run av gas regap the plugs run duel point distributors adjust the timing .. change the advance curve in the distributor along with other things to gain hp...now days all of that is done by a computer on the car..couldn't do any of that if ya wanted to
Jerry
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April 18, 2014
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Still gotta set that gap on my Mower, the tiller, the weedeater, the chainsaw and a pressure washer. I did set them alot on an old 73' H.O. Fire Bird. Use to fuel it with the Turbo Blue 115+ octane, run her down to Ohio Valley Motor Speedway in Muldrough and drag. carried five sets of plugs with the top electrodes cut off. and gapped them to the side. Advance the timing 5* and let her rip. Plugs were good for 1 pass in the 1/8th. but that big jump gap was hot and you 'd get another 20-30 horses....
young, dumb and full of panther piss as they'd say.... wonder what ever happened to that boy? hmmm.
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January 24, 2009
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Of course I have set plug gaps! Kinda recently...like 4 years ago, but yes. 
Now setting points, I haven't done that in a decade. I still have two running engines with points, but neither vehicle is roadworthy, sooo...yeah. Two vehicles currently, that still have points (photo from around 1990). Disregard the buggered mess on the bottom...stupid hackers!!
The 390 in the '66 F100 is a Mallory dual point, with no vacuum advance. Yes, my camera sucks...
The Charger still has it's original points distributor. They went electronic in 1971. I put new points in this one around...oh...1989. Very near when this pic was taken.
A more current photo, wearing a schnazzy NOS front fender.
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December 4, 2011
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Those old Ford 390's and 410's were beasts! Good engines and loads of power. I have replaced almost all my points with Pertronix Igniter conversions, uses old distributor and replaces the points plate with one containing a Hall effect sensor and a plastic cap fits over the cam lobes that has the magnets in it. Simple and effective. Sometimes need a new coil or a ballast resistor.
Anything worth doing is worth doing well.
My father
If a man designed it, and a man built it, then a man can fix it.
My grandfather
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January 24, 2009
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I put a Pertronix conversion on this one a few years ago, to see what the hubbub was all about. It works great!
And yes, those old 390's are strong. 
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July 2, 2011
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Remember the good old days when your gap gauge was a .....
To the paranoid people who check behind shower curtains for murderers:
if you find one...what's your plan?
Dans Club
April 18, 2014
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used that dime a few times just to get a base..
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"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
Richard Henry Lee
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January 22, 2008
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I used to feebly play with the gaps. I'm all thumbs. She ran no matter what I did to her.
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December 19, 2014
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hey I was wondering where my fuse went
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