[Chevy21]

Hi everyone,

Last week I was having trouble timing my pickup. I set the timing around 36* at 4,000 RPM. When I let it idle down to check base timing, it was still showing 36*. This was with vacuum advance unplugged and blocked off. So tonight, I pulled the distributor cap to see what was going on. I tried to turn the rotor to see if it would snap back into place, but it didn't. So i pulled the rotor off to inspect the springs and weights. The weights move freely if I move them by hand, but it is the shaft that runs down through the distributor that acts as if it if really sticky or something. If I turn it one way, it will just stay there and not come back to its original position by itself. I can force it back but it just feels really gummed up or something. I would assume that my base reading was staying at 36* because the shaft was stuck there and didnt allow the weights to come back in. I dont know what the problem is? The pickup currently runs fine, but I know something isnt right. Any ideas?

Thanx

[HalfOunce]

Pull the distributor and disassemble it. remove the shaft from the housing and then pull the shaft and the centrifugal advance mechanism apart and clean the shaft as well as the centrifugal advance mechanism hole. Or you could just try spraying a little PB blaster around where the distributor shaft goes through the centrifugal advance mechanism and working it back and forth to see if it will free up.....Sometimes the latter will work.

[Chevy21]

K,

I didnt pull the distributor but I did spray some WD-40 where the shaft goes through the centrifugal advance mechanism. I worked it back and forth for a while and it freed up a little bit. Better than it was. I put the weights and springs back in to see if it would snap back into place, but it was still hanging up a little. I think that problem is just that the shaft plate is gummy and rubbing on the plate on top of it where the weights sit. I have a 3 different sets of springs for it. The lightest ones dont want to pull the weights back in easily whereas the stiffer ones do. Could I try to free it up some more and put some grease in there until it moves freely? Also, the weights have the number "60" stamped on them. Should the numbers be facing up? I dont want to install them incorrectly. Forgot which whey they came out.