E.I. users - don't forget the distributor timing advance weights

[sastanley]

That is the lesson learned from this weekend. Headed across the Chesapeake Bay this weekend for a short cruise..(ran into PT 26 Paul&Trina while we were in Cambridge.. They have a lot to do with this story too...confirming theories, and providing suggestions.)

Motor ran like crap all the way across..spent the night in Oxford, MD and then motor sailed to Cambridge, and we were struggling with it getting into Cambridge's basin..it would run wide open, but not at 1,500 RPM..However, we made it in..but the old girl was under heavy duress. After several beverages with the PT26 crew last night and much pontificating, along with other cruisers with us that own old flat heads, we decided to check the advance weights in the dizzy.

Whoa, she's been a totally different motor today. Have not touched the throttle since 1000 this morning, & we are now running 30+ miles and about one hour from home. 2,000 rpm 170-175 F temp and just rocking.

If you have EI, don't forget you still need to pull the plate and service those weights! I had cleaned and lubed them the first year I had the boat....that is now ~7 years ago!!!

[PT26]

It was great to see you guys again this weekend, we had a great time last night!
I'm really glad the A4 is running good, and now we know another thing to be aware of too
There wasn't much wind today so it was definitely needed for you to get back across the bay.

[sastanley]

P & T, we are safely home, and the engine ran all the way with no trouble.

I hope you are enjoying LaTrappe Creek. It is one of my favorite anchorages!!

[JOHN COOKSON]

You Really Need To Inspect The Weights

If you have EI, don't forget you still need to pull the plate and service those weights!

Ditto for points.
If you twist the rotor and everything seems normal it may not be. The first time I took the breaker plate off I found one spring was broken and the weights had lots of rust on them. Yet the rotor seemed to snap back like it should when I twisted it. Anyway, once I replaced the springs the got rid of the rust the performance difference was much, much better. Like a super tune up. To work right the fly weights need to work with virtually no friction and correct spring tension.

TRUE GRIT

[sastanley]

John, yes..this certainly applies to anyone. I just could not figure out why the motor would run for 3 hours and just fade and die in the middle of the Bay.

It turns out the advance weights were all jammed up and screwed the motor's timing to the point she would barely run and then die a slow death. Fortunately, we were out of the ship channel and in favorable current until we got her going again on Friday. Today (Sunday) we had adverse current for the last half of the trip, but the motor ran great...up to 2,250 RPM when I really pushed her, just for fun. That is the highest RPM I've ever seen since installing the Indigo prop, which may mean the weights have been sticky for a while!!!!

[dhoerning]

Any chance you can elaborate on the necessary service ("service the advance weights) for the indigo EI? I have owned my Pearson now for a few years and its more than likely the previous owner did not do much for maintenance in the short time it was his.

[sastanley]

I don't have the Indigo EI..I have the Pertronix unit that Moyer sells. You can likely find Indigo info at the Indigo site?? I've also e-mailed them for replacement documentation I'd lost.

My motor has the stock Delco advance weights (& springs). "Servicing" simply meant I removed the rotor, magnetic ring, EI plate, and then pulled the distributor out of the boat where I could spray some brake cleaner into the weight mechanism and get the gunk out that was making the weights stick (the springs weren't strong enough to bring the weights back in at slower engine speeds due to dirt/gunk gumming up the weights).

I sprayed a little light oil in there after the brake cleaner evaporated out and re-installed the dizzy, and set the timing and had 9+ hours of trouble free motoring that day.

One thing I did do was make sure to snap a cell phone picture of the dizzy position before I removed it to make sure the rotor was back in the same spot and the teeth re-meshed in the same spot on re-installation. A simple Sharpie mark can accomplish the same thing (provided the motor does not turn/move while the dizzy is out!)

[Mermaidquest]

Just when I thought there wasn't anything about this simple little engine I didn't know, along comes this! Ha. thanks Capt.Pat