how do you set points on 1948 8n

how to set points on front distributor ....8n...?

The front distributor was designed to come off of the tractor to
replace/adjust the points. To do this, remove the wire on the coil, remove
the coil bail, remove the distributor cap & take the two bolts off. The base
of the distributor has an offset tang & can only go back one way unless you
really force it on.

The first thing you need to check is bushing wear. If the shaft has any
sideways movement AT ALL, the bushings must be replaced. (see below)

Next, look at how the points & condenser are set in the distributor before
you start pulling it down! Turn the tang & observe how the points open &
close. If this is your first time doing it, draw a sketch! Make sure you are
using quality points. I use only Wells, Blue Streak or Echlin brand points
(* see below). Be careful not to ground the tip of the condenser wire to
the body of the distributor when you replace the points. Do not break the
little copper strip that go to the points. (If you do, make another out of
the old set of points). Check the insulator w/ your meter. If it's bad,
replace it with a Hillman Group square .375 license plate screw, Item #
138916, model #881189. Also, make sure the condenser wire does not go
through the same opening in the distributor as the coil pig tail. The
condenser wire goes through the opening on the top right.

Look at the old points; are they burned, pitted or misaligned? Check the
point gap, .015 on all four lobes. Make sure the blade is at a perfect
right angle to the points. You want to feel just the slightest bit of drag
when you pull the blade through the points. Set the points on the high side
of the cam and ensure they align correctly. Make sure you have the star
washers under the screws on the points. If you need to replace the 8-32 X
.19 fillister head screws, ensure that the new screws do not interfere with
the advance weights. Dress the points by running a piece of card stock or a
brown paper bag through them. New points sometimes have an anti-corrosive
dielectric coating on them & old points can corrode or pick up grease from a
dirty feeler gauge or excessive cam lubricant. And, don?t forget to lube the
rubbing block w/ cam lube; not Vaseline, not bearing grease, but cam lube .
(** see below).

If you are using quality points and cannot get the gap to open to .015,
chances are you need to replace the bushings.

Now, set the timing. Get a meter or test light, a 21/64? drill bit (*** see
below) & a metal straight edge. Put the distributor face down w/ the
condenser on the left & the timing plate lock screw on the bottom. Look at
the end of the shaft: it has a narrow side & a wide side. Make sure you can
tell the difference. Now, place the drill bit in the bottom mounting hole
(this will be your reference point for measuring). Next, place a straight
edge on the wide side of the tang on the shaft as shown in fig. FO83 in the
picture. Rotate the shaft CCW (as viewed from rotor side OR CW as viewed
from back/tang side) until the straight edge is ?" beyond the outside edge
of the drill bit you stuck in the distributor mounting hole. At this
distance, the distributor points should start to open (get your meter/light
out now & check). If not, loosen the timing plate lock screw and turn to
advance or retard the timing (move the plate down to advance timing, up to
retard). Remember, each one of those little hash marks represents about 4?
of timing. Keep adjusting until you get the proper ?" setting. (if the plate
won?t move, you might need to remove the big C clip to loosen it a bit) As
you?re adjusting, eliminate backlash by turning the shaft backwards (CW as
viewed from the front) and bring the shaft forward (CCW as viewed from the
front) to measure your setting. This ?" setting will get you static timing
at top dead center.

After you set the points & timing, do a continuity check before you put the
distributor back on the tractor. Before you start, make sure your
meter/light works.

With the distributor still off the tractor, follow these steps:

1. Coil off, cap off, points open. One probe on the brass screw & the
other on both sides of the open points. On the side closest to the cam, you
should have continuity. Not on the other side! If you do, you will also have
continuity everywhere because the points are grounded.

2. Coil off, cap off, points open. One probe on the brass screw & the
other anywhere on the body of the distributor. You should have no
continuity! Now, rotate the tang on the distributor....as the points open &
close, you have continuity (closed) and lose it when they open.

3. Put the coil on the distributor, cap off, points open. One probe on
the lead on the top of the coil, the other on the cam side of the open
points. You should have continuity!

4. Coil on, cap off, points open. One probe on the lead on the top of
the coil, the other anywhere on the body of the distributor. You should have
no continuity!

At this point, I just put the distributor, coil & cap all back on the
tractor as a unit. The reason I do this is because it is real easy to get
the cap or coil misaligned trying to put it back together, one piece at a
time. The result is something gets broken or you get a ?no spark? problem.

It's possible to put it back on wrong & break it. Look at the slot on the
end of the cam shaft. Whatever angle it happens to be, turn the distributor
tang to match it. Make sure you can tell the wide side from the narrow side
on both the cam & distributor! (close counts). Place the distributor on the
front of the engine, gently push it in place & slowly turn the distributor
body until you feel the tang slip into the slot. Rotate the distributor body
until the bolt holes line up. Hand tighten the two bolts until the
distributor body is flush with the timing gear cover.

Double-check your firing order & plug wires. It?s 1-2-4-3, counterclockwise.
It?s very easy to cross 3 & 4.

And finally, do not forget to remove the distributor on an annual basis
(more often, depending on use) to check the point gap and re-lube the cam.

* NAPA part numbers:

? Points: FD-6769X or ECH CS35

? Condenser: FD-71 or ECH FA200

? Rotor: FD-104 or ECH FA 300

? Cap: FD-126 or ECH FA 350

* Yesterday's Tractor kit:

Premium Blue Streak points (A0NN12107ABS), rotor, condenser, and gauge Part
No: APN12000ABSR

nnalert's kit:

Heavy-Duty Point Set, Condenser, Heavy-Duty Rotor, Heat Range Matched Spark
Plugs. Packed 6 to Master Carton. Contains: 1-9N12107 Point Set,
1-AONN12300A Condenser, 1-9N12200 Rotor,1-9N12104 Gasket Kit,4-AL437 Spark
Plug,1-015 Gauge, 1-025 Gauge.

** Distributor cam lube, Mac's Auto Parts:

http://www.macsautoparts.com/ford_edsel/distributor-cam-lube-made-with-silic
one-7-8-ounce-381629.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid_search&utm_campa
ign=paid_search_google_pla&scid=scplp58-20966-1&sc_intid=58-20966-1&gclid=CN
7P-sjQ9tICFYePswodaH0HRg

** Distributor cam lube NAPA:

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/ECHML1

*** Rather than the drill bit, a jig made by Dan Allen (The Old Hokie) will
make this task quicker & more accurate.

http://windyridgefarm.us/


**** Unscrew the plate hold down screw & remove the C clip to get the plate
out. Remove the shaft & weights. The weights should freely move.

There are three ways to replace the bushings in a front distributor:

1. Buy new bushings (part numbers 9N12120 front & 18-12132 rear). Press
out the old ones, press in the new ones and ream to fit. CAUTION: do not try
this unless you have a press & know how to use it. If you break the base, a
new one costs $130. If you bend the tower which holds the front bushing, a
new plate will cost you $30.

2. Take the new bushings and distributor to your local machine shop.

3. Send the distributor out for bushing replacement if you do not have a
local machine shop.

Make sure your distributor isn?t worn out; check the wear parts with a
micrometer and compare what you have to the factory specs (below).


Factory Specs:

Shaft top .4367 / .4370

Shaft Bottom .8625 / .8630

Cam Flats .789 / .791

Cam Lobes .869 / .871

Base Tang .177 / .178
75 Tips

Here's a link to a utube video. This is pretty much how I do it. Bruce's method is a little different. Both ways work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v HO3pJTEH3JA

Get yourself at least a copy of the 8N Operator's Manual; a copy of the I&T F-04 Manuals; and a copy of the 39-53 MPC (Master Parts Catalog. There are good parts views as well as detailed R&R on how to set timing, etc. Member here, TOH, makes and sells a nifty application/setting gage/jig for the front mount to ease the setting of timing.


Tim Daley(MI)