[T2] A bit of advice if you have mechanical points

[Dennis Gentry]

Hi,

TL;DR:  If you value your time, replace your mechanical points with
electronic ones.  (I'd probably install Compufire today, but I've installed
Pertronix in the past.)

This is probably common knowledge here, but in case it isn't, here's my 2
cents.

If you have way more time than money, new points and condensers are cheap,
but require time to replace and set.  There is also the additional time
required to troubleshoot when something goes wrong, whether it's the points
or something else.  (If you have nothing but time, just file the points and
reset the gap/dwell every 300 miles or so!)

On another thread, an intrepid bus carer is working out the bugs in an
older bus that has sat for a while.  He had already checked a bunch of
stuff, gas, filters, carb, pumps, but eventually got to checking the
points.  I was mildly surprised to find out that he had mechanical points,
but not surprised that he found that they were in terrible shape.

It is easier to troubleshoot things if you don't have to worry about the
points and point gap.  Since I start troubleshooting with the ignition
system (then fuel, then air, then mechanical), this is a big timesaver.
Not having to screw around with points and gap gets me on to the next step
that much more quickly.

I won't go into the details of which brand to buy, how long they'll last,
whatever, except to say that on average, electronic points will last at
least 10x as long as mechanical ones, and my experience is that my first
(early-adopter) Pertronix held up for about a decade, and the current
Pertronix set I'm running has been in for at least another 10 years or
maybe 20, I've kind of lost track.  There are even cheap Chinese ones on
eBay that probably won't set your coil/bus on fire.

I have another tiny bit of advice on setting timing that I learned from my
8 year old son.  When loosening or tightening the distributor clamp nut
that is basically a 10mm hex bar (for easy wrench fitting), you don't have
to do it in tiny little steps, refitting the wrench every 30 degrees like I
used to.  You can just wobble the end of the wrench back and forth (toward
and away from the distributor) to avoid the obstacles and turn it at least
90 degrees in one pull.

Hope this is helpful!
Dennis
'72 Bus
'80 Westy