Which Distributor? (engine miss)


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By Mike Morrall - 11 Years Ago
Having what I believe is a miss in the engine when the engine is under a load. It sputters slightly and I can feel it in the car. Went throught he fuel system, changed plug wires, change plugs and now am at the distributor. The motor is a 292 with the stock cam, Blue Thunder intake and an edelbrock carb. 5-speed manual trans. The distributor is the original from the 292. I wanted to upgrade anyway so based on what I have, what distributow would work best and hopefully take care of this miss I have? Thanks!
By paul2748 - 11 Years Ago
What year is the distributor?  If a 55 0r 56, using a 57 or later might solve your problem (if indeed it is the distributor casing it).  If a 57 or later dizzy, then you can try something like a Pertronix or a MSD
By Ted - 11 Years Ago

You didn’t mention what year distributor you’re running but if it’s a ’57 and newer unit, then try driving it with the vacuum advance disconnected. If that cures the ‘miss’, then the problem lies with too much ignition advance.  This is assuming the timing has been first checked with a timing light and the initial ignition timing has been adjusted accordingly.  If it’s an older Load-O-Matic (LOM) distributor, then check that the vacuum portion of it is functioning by putting a timing light to the engine and running the rpm’s up and down while observing the timing marks at the damper.  If it's an older LOM distributor used in conjunction with a '57 or newer carburetor, then there is a distributor/carburetor incompatibility issue that is resolved by using the '57 and up distributor.
By Mike Morrall - 11 Years Ago
I believe it is a 57 or newer distributor. How can I tell for sure? The timing mark does move with the light on it. I disconnected the vacuum line with no improvement either. Thanks.
By paul2748 - 11 Years Ago
While the cap is bigger on the 57 and later ones, the easiest way to tell is looking inside.  The  55/56 had springs on top of the points plate.  The 57 and later did not, they were under the plate.  Another harder to see difference is the points themselves.  The 55/56 had a straight  bottom part, the 57 and later were curved.


Mike Morrall (6/19/2014)
I believe it is a 57 or newer distributor. How can I tell for sure? The timing mark does move with the light on it. I disconnected the vacuum line with no improvement either. Thanks.
By Mike Morrall - 11 Years Ago
Thanks. I'll check tonight.

The car also has a vibration at around 2000 to 2500rpm. Could the wrong distributor have something to do with that? Probably a different issue but thought I'd ask.
By Mike Morrall - 11 Years Ago
Finally got back on. Having trouble getting the forum to load for some reason. I checked and it is a newer distributor (57 or newer). I notice that the car runs good with only a minor vibration until it warms up, then it gets worse once the motor is warmed up. Thanks!