Point gap on plugs and points

[Jerry Kirkpatrick]

How important is a specific point gap on spark plugs and points? I see specs for each, read what the folks here have to say and then I see some old-time mechanic just set 'em with a knife blade. What kind of range is acceptable for good operation?

 

[Dunk]

(quoted from post at 18:18:40 07/13/09) How important is a specific point gap on spark plugs and points? I see specs for each, read what the folks here have to say and then I see some old-time mechanic just set 'em with a knife blade. What kind of range is acceptable for good operation?

LMAO!!

What you may not know is that "some old-time mechanic" knows by looking, really close, and if it is a pocket knife that he has been carring for years, maybe even closer than that.

A book match book cover is just about right for setting lawnmower points, also an old time grocery sack doubled is just about right to set the magneto on a lawnmower.

 

[Anonymous-0]

BS Point gap is important.The gap affects timing and a tite gap will over heat the points and coil.Dont beleive every thing you see on this forum,A lot of posters dont know nuthin, they dont even suspect nuthin.Some have never even stood close to a tractor.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I use feeler gauges.I dont have any worn silver dimes left.

 

[Dunk]

(quoted from post at 18:35:51 07/13/09) BS Point gap is important.The gap affects timing and a tite gap will over heat the points and coil.Dont beleive every thing you see on this forum,A lot of posters dont know nuthin, they dont even suspect nuthin.Some have never even stood close to a tractor.

If this was aimed at me....

I have been fixing small engines, that no one else could fix, for 40 years.

Large engines for around 35 years.

It was never my primary occupation, except for brief periods of time between other jobs, because it didn't pay well enough.

I never said it wasn't important, but knowing what to set it at, and knowing what to use, does not have to mean a trip to the tool store.

I guess what you are trying to say is that you have to read what is written on every wrench to know what bolt it fits.

Granted in the last few years my eyes have went down hill on me quite a bit, I think a lot of that is from staring at a computer all day to make a living, and I haven't done nearly as much wrenching as I used to do, but not that many years back, I could look at any bolt and tell you what size it was, and if it was metric or SAE.

 

[Phil9N3667]

I gotta add a funny one somebody told me years ago about setting the point gap on a B&S engine. When asked what the gap was, the old timer said to use a thin dime(as mentioned above)!! The fellow asking the question said: I don"t have a thin dime, would two thick nickels work? As Old and Dunk have said: Don"t trust your eyes, use a feeler gauge and KNOW what you have for a gap.

 

[old]

While the gap on the points should be set as the book says you can in fact get by if they are off a tad bit. I have used the flap off the point box, set them by eye and a few other things when I didn't have a gap gauge at hand to set them and have never had any problems doing it that way and have done so for 40 plus years. That said not all people can do that and it takes a sort of eye.ear to do things like that. I know of some people that try as they might can not fix things like point gap etc and others that can just look at things and they seem to work

 

[Walt123]

Just to get OT for a minute. What is it with this 36 Coup poster. This is not the first time he has entered into a topic with nothing but disdain for some of the older and probably wiser forum users.
Also, anyone who has posted more than a couple of times as a "guest" and with negative attitudes is nothing more than a "troll". Join the forum or go away!

 

[trucker40]

As others said it doesnt have to be exactly right,but it does have to be kind of close.If you get the points to where they just barely open it might run,but if you use it for a few hours it will probably quit running after the plastic block wears off a little.If you set the points right it could go a year or more before you have to set them again.I knew an old man that smoked a pipe and used that tobacco in a tin can.He had a piece of that tin tobacco can that he carried all the time in his pocket to set points with.I used to smoke cigarettes and always had paper matches and used a match book cover to set points with.Knife blade would work,anything that got it in the area it needed to be to break the connection and cause a spark.Most of the time they run and start better if you use a feeler guage like you should.

 

[DanH01]

Pieces of tin, Knife blades, paper bags, dollar bills and a whole host of other field expedient methods have worked at one time or another for a lot of people. Since most of us don"t carry the shop with us when out bush hogging or plowing or whatever and you break down miles from the shop and the proper tools, you use whatever is handy and looks like it might work so that you can get back to the shop to do it right. You can bet that that old man that used his knife to set the points has double checked himself a time or two and discovered that the blade of that knife stuck in so far will get you close enough to run.

It"s best to go with the specs to get the optimal perfomance. But remember unless you"ve replaced every little part some of the parts you have could be up to 60 something years old and bound to have some wear that you need to compensate for.

 

[Anonymous-0]

You have zero knowledge of my skills so you are not qualified to judge me.

 

[Dunk]

(quoted from post at 06:57:29 07/14/09) You have zero knowledge of my skills so you are not qualified to judge me.

Ahhh....

The pot calls the kettle black.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I start working on cars over 55 years ago Same for small engines,tractors came a bit later.Still have a gap gauge I bought in the early 50s.No I dont have to read every wrench I pick up.I got away from mechanics and spent most of my work time in radio tv service.Im retired now but still work on fence chargers ,tractors starters,generators welders and alternators.I run a sawmill and planer/moulder.Logs are cut from my woods.I did carpenter work in the early 60s.It bothers me when Dufus tries to fix a tractor with out a clue to what he is doing.My favorite laugh is the jokers who tell people to disconnect the battery cable to see if the generator is working.Post wasnt aimed at you but dead on for many people on here.I wonder how they got so far along in life with out a lick of common sense.

 

[Eric L]

36 Coupe.....U know that not every tractor owner knows everything there is to know about his/her tractor when it comes to working on it.Most people learn as you go and these guys on this site helped me quite a bit.I guess this is why most people buy old tractors to learn as you go and to have fun while doing it.

 

[Ian074]

(quoted from post at 15:57:29 07/14/09) You have zero knowledge of my skills so you are not qualified to judge me.

Whoa here Hoss! If you are referring to Walt's post maybe you best read it again. Your absolutely right. He has no knowledge of your skills and there fore has no right to Judge said skills.
What he does have knowledge of (as do the rest of us) is your attitude and your troll-like habits on this forum. So I guess he has a right to judge that.

 

[Anonymous-0]

My pet peeeve is with the happy hanks that spend 2 or 3 grand on a tractor and then refuse to spend a few bucks on an owners manual.They take the hood and radiator off a tractor with a front mount distributor.They plug gas tank vents and plug the oil weep hole under the clutch.A fellow bought a new Massey Ferguson tractor and baler.He noticed a slight oil drip and drove an aluminum roofing nail into the hole.After a few winters on his farm he sold his tractor and baler to a neighbor.Wasnt long before the tractors clutch failed.I bought a 36 Ford car in the early 50s.While greasing it I noticed the cotter pin in the weep hole in the clutch housing.I knew why it was there,The cotter pin keeps the hole from plugging.Why would anyone disconnect a battery to see if the generator is charging?A lot of poster cant read their tractors ammeters yet they rush down to Radio Shack to buy a complicated digital meter thay they dont know how to use.They refuse to buy a 1 dollar hydrometer to check battery condition.I have looked up part# and specs in my books,advised on repairs.Never a thank you.If I said they are doing somthing dangerous with a tractor,they come back strong with name calling.Worse a bunch of like types will reply and support foolish actions.There are plenty of fools hurting or killing themselves or others running loose.I saw a fellow on a riding lawn mower with 3 small girls chasing the mower with a girl hanging on the back of the mower.I have a Ford and a John Deere tractor and often work on friends Farmalls and Ford tractors.The lack of common sense of some posters scares me.Ive been using and working on tractors since the mid 50s.

 

[Dunk]

(quoted from post at 08:23:36 07/15/09) My pet peeeve is with the happy hanks that spend 2 or 3 grand on a tractor and then refuse to spend a few bucks on an owners manual.They take the hood and radiator off a tractor with a front mount distributor.They plug gas tank vents and plug the oil weep hole under the clutch.A fellow bought a new Massey Ferguson tractor and baler.He noticed a slight oil drip and drove an aluminum roofing nail into the hole.After a few winters on his farm he sold his tractor and baler to a neighbor.Wasnt long before the tractors clutch failed.I bought a 36 Ford car in the early 50s.While greasing it I noticed the cotter pin in the weep hole in the clutch housing.I knew why it was there,The cotter pin keeps the hole from plugging.Why would anyone disconnect a battery to see if the generator is charging?A lot of poster cant read their tractors ammeters yet they rush down to Radio Shack to buy a complicated digital meter thay they dont know how to use.They refuse to buy a 1 dollar hydrometer to check battery condition.I have looked up part# and specs in my books,advised on repairs.Never a thank you.If I said they are doing somthing dangerous with a tractor,they come back strong with name calling.Worse a bunch of like types will reply and support foolish actions.There are plenty of fools hurting or killing themselves or others running loose.I saw a fellow on a riding lawn mower with 3 small girls chasing the mower with a girl hanging on the back of the mower.I have a Ford and a John Deere tractor and often work on friends Farmalls and Ford tractors.The lack of common sense of some posters scares me.Ive been using and working on tractors since the mid 50s.

Just remember...

One opinion does not a quorum make.

:lol: :lol: