hi guys, anyone know of a good guide for installing points,

[sacramento_ford]

all i can find on the net is pic and not a step by step... i took them off and put em back on but dont know to do from here,.

[fordman]

you might need to find a book to see how to gap them.

[Happy_Camper]

Here's a good article that fits Fords as well:
0.017" fits pretty much all V8s, and corresponds to about 26*-31* dwell.

http://www.allpar.com/fix/points.html

[sgs]

Points install is pretty simple. You can gap them with a feeler gauge like the previous poster said. .017 sounds about right or when it's running with a dwell meter. Put a dab of points lube on the points cam follower. Make sure your feeler gauge doesn't have oil on it. the contacts should remain clean. 1degree of dwell changes timing 1 degree but timing doesn't change dwell. Check your timing after the change.

sgs

[NM5K]

The trickiest part is tapping the starter to get the block right on a
peak so you can set them. When you adjust them, make sure you
are right on the peak. Even then, I usually have to tweak them 2-3
times to get it right where I want it. I set by a dwell meter.
GM actually had a better system in this regard. They had a little
window where you could stick a hex key and adjust the dwell
without taking it apart.
The only way to adjust the fords are to take the cap off, and
re-do it.

[flatblack]

if you smoke use a piece of the cardboard from the pack of smokes to set your gap, its what ive always done, my pops showed me that a long time ago

[fordman]

i will try to explain it. i couldn't find the words earlier to do it. inside the dist on the center of the dist shaft that holds the rotor is a 8 sided cam that has 6 peaks to it. the points ride against the points. to set the point you turn the engine over until the peak is where it is trying to open the point or is touching it if they aren't open. you then loosen the screws for the points and put a gap guage inside the two parts of the points. i think it might be .017 for a 302 and a fe. then you slowly tighten the screws down so that the points will stay open and you can move the gap guage in and out of the points barely without rubbing them. then once they are the correct gap and not rubbing on the points while you move them up and down you tighten the screws down all the way. be careful because some times the screws will move the points on you and you have to start over. i hope i have explained the cam part as to how they contact the points so that you can understand it. you should see the cam on the outer part of that shaft that holds the rotor.

[sacramento_ford]

i will try to explain it. i couldn't find the words earlier to do it. inside the dist on the center of the dist shaft that holds the rotor is a 8 sided cam that has 6 peaks to it. the points ride against the points. to set the point you turn the engine over until the peak is where it is trying to open the point or is touching it if they aren't open. you then loosen the screws for the points and put a gap guage inside the two parts of the points. i think it might be .017 for a 302 and a fe. then you slowly tighten the screws down so that the points will stay open and you can move the gap guage in and out of the points barely without rubbing them. then once they are the correct gap and not rubbing on the points while you move them up and down you tighten the screws down all the way. be careful because some times the screws will move the points on you and you have to start over. i hope i have explained the cam part as to how they contact the points so that you can understand it. you should see the cam on the outer part of that shaft that holds the rotor.

i got it, i had a feeling thats how it was but wasnt sure, i installed them , then moved the points so they stay open a little then measure the gap and tighten good, right. i need to get a feeler gauge.thanks again! ,,

[george worley]

I bump the engine over till I'm close to the cam lobe point then I turn the dizzy a little to get it exact.You can mark where the dizzy was so you can get it back,but I time mine when I set the points so I don't worry about moving the dizzy back where it was.

[sacramento_ford]

if you smoke use a piece of the cardboard from the pack of smokes to set your gap, its what ive always done, my pops showed me that a long time ago

nice dude, i didnt have a pops