Loadomatic distributor mod


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By DANIEL TINDER - 15 Years Ago
Finally installed the rebuilt Loadomatic with dual point kit & jury rigged Offy mechanical advance limiter (14 dist. degrees). Runs fine on the road, and seems to rev. more freely near red line. Relaxed springs set to allow quicker advance, while holding total to 34 crank degrees (target max Y-Block power range). Stock set up OEM 6V dist. (while not missing) would flatten out around 4600. This one pulls to 5000+. But, it's a bear to start. Just doesn't want to catch. Initial timing is set the same at estimated 6 degrees (TDC never verified). Any Ideas?
By Ted - 15 Years Ago
Have you checked the amp draw on the starter while starting the engine?  Six volt ignition systems are sensitive to above normal starter draw thus dropping the voltage at the ignition circuit just enough to make them hard to start.
By DANIEL TINDER - 15 Years Ago
Ted,



High-torque wound 6V starter likely overdue for brushes (70K miles). If it's now drawing too much, then possibly the dual point distributor's prolonged coil charge/dwell time requires more extra juice than 6V generator & tired 7 year old battery can provide? I have a spare rebuilt starter I could install while the high-torque is being re-brushed, but I think I'll try jumping with my spare charged 6V battery in parallel first, and see if the extra available amperage helps starting.
By DANIEL TINDER - 15 Years Ago
Ted (4/5/2010) Six volt ignition systems are sensitive to above normal starter draw thus dropping the voltage at the ignition circuit just enough to make them hard to start.




Ted nailed it again. Fresh starter solved the problem.



P.S. Re: the Loadomatic; I had mentioned in a previous post my concern that the amount of manifold vacuum passed by the spark control valve could be problematic. Finally tee'd a vacuum gauge into the distributor line and went for a test drive. Manifold vacuum never exceeded the venturi signal.