8N Distributor Point setting

MoC · Feb 5, 2010

When replacing the points, I am not able to get the gap open to .025. The maximum is .015.

The adjusting screw does move the plate and opens and closes to the .15.

How do I adjust the distributor to get a wider gap?

Bruce (VA) · Feb 5, 2010

When you ask a question here, it’s usually a good idea to tell us:

1. The model of your tractor (2N, 9N, 8N, NAA, etc).

2. If it is 6v or 12v.

3. If it’s an N, if the distributor is on the front or side of the engine.

4. If it has any major parts that are not OEM, such as electronic ignition, a side coil on a front distributor, etc.

Troubleshooting is different depending on the model of the tractor, voltage, ignition system & distributor placement.

The point gap is different on the front & side distributors. So is setting the timing.

When you post back w/ enough info for us to answer your question, also tell us where you got the points & the brand name.
50 Tips

old · Feb 5, 2010

Bet you got your self a set of them cheap junk TSC points that are not worth the $$ to even go look at them. Take them back and buy a good set of points like blue streak or B/W. Also and this is important. Is yours a side mount or front mount distributor??? ONLY the side mounts are set at 0.025 and the front mounts are set at 0.015. Set either one wrong and they will not run well if at all and as Bruce says MORE info for use to be able to help you with out use guessing what you may or may not have and that in turn can lead to wrong answers

Bob · Feb 5, 2010

So we are to ASSUME this is a LATE 8N with a side-mount distributor since you are trying to get a point gap of .025"?

(You are setting them with the rubbing block of the points on the HIGH POINT of a cam lobe, RIGHT?)

Anonymous-0 · Feb 5, 2010

Bruce you must think you are some kind of genius because every time some one asks a question without giving YOU all the information you need you respond the same way every time with the LIST. I think that your list of required information is a joke and that you should stop posting if that is all you are going to post, it's annoying and I have seen people answer questions without all the information you need.

The guy might have bought the wrong points?

Bruce (VA) · Feb 5, 2010

Thanks for your constructive input. When I do get to your genius level of IQ, I'll just answer all questions like this as if the guy has a frontmount.

So, without knowing just what he is working on, maybe you should be helpful & just tell him how to fix the problem. Guess. You have a 50/50 chance of being correct.

Go ahead. We're waiting.

Jubilee85 (VA) · Feb 5, 2010

Not that Bruce needs any help, but it sure does HELP if someone TELLs what type of tractor they have, no point giving someone "wrong" information based on the first thing that pops in ones mind.....like Dell says....I dont read minds.....so why dont you ADD input rather than put down someone that IS TRYING TO HELP.....old saying is very true ....you get more bees with honey than vinegar.

Jubilee85 (VA) · Feb 5, 2010

I learned long ago.

and it is still true ....

"YOU CAN'T HUMBLE AND IDIOT"

Bruce (VA) · Feb 5, 2010

Amen!

And what's even funnier, the guy thinks he can hide behind an IP address! Sometimes those "change your IP address" directions don't work very well.

Jubilee85 (VA) · Feb 5, 2010

i spent a few minutes doing a little search myself.....gave up ....no sure I want to know..

i think i am going out and move some more snow with the 53, bought a very nice pair of boots from cabelas, let see if my feet get cold.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp;jsessionid=TZ2QAB2HPKYELLAQBBKSCOVMCAEFAIWE?id=0020833830435a&navCount=2&podId=0020833&parentId=cat20574&masterpathid=&navAction=push&cmCat=&catalogCode=9IS&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat20574&hasJS=true&_requestid=78054

Bruce (VA) · Feb 5, 2010

I need to get out there myself. As far as boots go, about all I have left from my Army days that still fits me are boots. All the fatigues shrunk.

Yea, it took a few minutes to run down the address. Interesting results!

Jubilee85 (VA) · Feb 5, 2010

like to know who.....

old · Feb 5, 2010

Well What Bruce says is 100% correct and with out the info on a person tractor like front or side mount 6 or 12 volts etc. etc etc it is hard for us to be able to help them. Just because Bruce may have it set up so he can answer the same way is just fine. Just think if you went to see a doctor and you told him I hurt and that was it then what could he do but give you a pill which probably would not help the real problem so back off JACK @ss

Anonymous-0 · Feb 5, 2010

I just went out to where my two 8Ns are one front mount and one side mount guess what? the points are not interchangeable you can't adjust them correctly.MoC might have bought the wrong ones, like I did say in my first post(look at the bottom of the first post). When I was an Aircraft mechanic in the Air Force we used to call it trouble shooting, that is when you don't have all the answers but are still able to fix the problem. I don't care if you know who I am just ask and I will email you my address , the last time I put my e-mail on this site a guy would not leave me alone 100 plus e-mails,I think it was because I was able to answer to many of his questions without a lot of my own.
And when one of you guys can humble me I will be happy to admit it. I am glad that you guys all stick together though, good for you!

JMOR · Feb 5, 2010

(quoted from post at 18:23:53 02/05/10) I just went out to where my two 8Ns are one front mount and one side mount guess what? the points are not interchangeable you can't adjust them correctly.MoC might have bought the wrong ones, like I did say in my first post(look at the bottom of the first post). When I was an Aircraft mechanic in the Air Force we used to call it trouble shooting, that is when you don't have all the answers but are still able to fix the problem. I don't care if you know who I am just ask and I will email you my address , the last time I put my e-mail on this site a guy would not leave me alone 100 plus e-mails,I think it was because I was able to answer to many of his questions without a lot of my own.
And when one of you guys can humble me I will be happy to admit it. I am glad that you guys all stick together though, good for you!

Well, you may have answered someone's question without knowing facts in the past but you struck out here. He didn't say that he couldn't install points....he said he couldn't adjust to proper gap. If he had wrong side/frt points he couldn't have even installed them.

old · Feb 5, 2010

Yep the points are different in the 2 of them and they will also not fit in the wrong place either. And the point is with out all the info you can not help some one help them self's. And I know you can not look at what he has and know what he needs so your just guessing so go back to your little corner and sit down. Oh my e-mail is always open and has been for 10 years on this site yep been here 10 years

Bruce (VA) · Feb 5, 2010

I don't know which is the dumber move: having to go outside & see if the points were different between a front or side distributor.....or actually telling us that.

No wonder you can't offer any advice here.

old · Feb 5, 2010

Bruce funny how a person can jump all over some one but not have a clue as to what there talking about. And in this guys case he doesn't even have the balls to use the same name twice in a row let alone give his known name.
So has the white stuff started falling there yet. Been falling here almost all day but not sticking because it is above freezing by about 2 degrees

souNdguy · Feb 5, 2010

I have to agree with the others... having all the info up front makes it much easier to answer the questions without typing out all the possible configurations.

At least bruce's message was helpfull and not a troll post like yours.

soundguy

Bruce (VA) · Feb 5, 2010

JACK would probably be giving better advice if it was one of those EI's w/o transistors......

Bruce (VA) · Feb 5, 2010

Yea, no one cares about his email address. But, you'd think he'd at least use the same handle he has used here many times before. Being both ignorant & cowardly is a tough burden to carry.

Yea, it snowed from 9am to 3pm at 34*; no accumulation. Rain & sleet now. Supposed to get 6" of snow tomorrow.

Ken(Ark) · Feb 5, 2010

(quoted from post at 10:43:34 02/05/10) When replacing the points, I am not able to get the gap open to .025. The maximum is .015.

The adjusting screw does move the plate and opens and closes to the .15.

How do I adjust the distributor to get a wider gap?

Don't care what voltage or even if its a ford , to answer your question ,

If you are trying to get .025 and they will not open that far check to see what the gap is on each lobe and if the gap changes if you push/pull the shaft .

You could have worn lobes , worn bushings or defective points with a short rubbing block , try the old points and see if they were getting the .025 gap .

Dunk · Feb 5, 2010

(quoted from post at 18:23:53 02/05/10) When I was an Aircraft mechanic in the Air Force we used to call it trouble shooting, that is when you don't have all the answers but are still able to fix the problem.

And when one of you guys can humble me I will be happy to admit it.

I intent to try....

Too bad you admit that (some) folks in the Air Force have to [b:47dd546a84]hide [/b:47dd546a84]to have their say.

Too bad you couldn't have been a Marine!!!

They don't have to hide behind their Mom's skirt tail, to have their say.

(Edited to get rid of the crap out of the quote)

forddoc · Feb 5, 2010

if jack@ss is an aircraft mechanic, but he did say, "when I was" past tense, maybe that is why it is past tense, him don't know chit.

Dunk · Feb 5, 2010

(quoted from post at 23:28:05 02/05/10) if jack@ss is an aircraft mechanic, but he did say, "when I was" past tense, maybe that is why it is past tense, him don't know chit.

Sounds to me like it doesn't matter if it is a C-130 or a F-15 all one has to do is hide, and trouble shoot the points.

old · Feb 5, 2010

Ya right points on an F-15 LOL bet he changed a lot of them. LOL Oh forgot they don't have any they is a jet engine so no points needed LOL

JMOR · Feb 6, 2010

(quoted from post at 00:51:57 02/06/10) Ya right points on an F-15 LOL bet he changed a lot of them. LOL Oh forgot they don't have any they is a jet engine so no points needed LOL

a know, once upon a time, long ago, somebody more or less called me Dell, Jr. because I was a little bit terse to someone, which maybe I shouldn't have been, but , maybe unlike Dell, who always sez he doesn't have a crystal ball, maybe I do. If so, I think I see a shadowy haze of Bruce's nemesis...........& that would be somebody hiding underneath 8N1949. :!:

Ken(Ark) · Feb 6, 2010

(quoted from post at 23:14:18 02/05/10)
Ya know, once upon a time, long ago, somebody more or less called me Dell, Jr. because I was a little bit terse to someone, which maybe I shouldn't have been, but...

I always felt that you can agree to disagree as long as you don't make it a personal attack . The tiffs we have here are usually over ideologies and not personalities , a couple cold beers and all is well again .

There are times I read one of Bruce's posts and think he is going overboard but then I realise two things , one is he does follow through to solve the problem no matter how long it takes , and two sometimes the questions sounds cut and dry but 6/12 front/side/ year/model fills in the missing piece of the solution .

Usually the sarcasm comes on the second reply and it gets the poster to stop and actually think/learn about the topic instead of fix it and forget it .

Teach a man to fish type deal , I still get a grin on my face when I see HOBO telling someone they would be better dropping the hydraulic pump to clean it . After twenty rounds of sparring I understood the pros and cons of debris floating around . I still owe him a box of shop rags , he he . But it never got personal , heated yes , personal no .

Bruce (VA) · Feb 6, 2010

Air Force mechanic? Considering the source, that's probably BS as well. All branches of the military require passing an IQ test to enlist. Reading over his posts in this thread & others, it looks like he has reached the apex of his social & intellectual abilities trolling around here pretending to know something about tractors.

MoC · Feb 7, 2010

I just finished reading all the comments to my original question. I am not sure how the majority of them would help me to solve the problem. I am a retired U. S. Air Force member but that does not have anything to do with solving the problem except that your experience is as a mechanic.

Bruce did ask me for more information and before he did, I realized I did not tell enough information about the tractor before posting the message. So, thanks Bruce, I realize that you must have more information before you can give an intelligent answer.

The tractor is a 6 volt, front mounted distributor, early 1947 model. I purchased the tune up kit from the Ford dealership.

After looking at another forum post, I noticed that the front mount and side mount are different. In my research of the manuals, I did not find the information about setting the points at .015. It appears that the setting of .025 is incorrect.

Bruce I tried to open your reference to the differences but could not get it to open. Since you now have my email address, could you possible sent me a copy of the article so that I can put it in my binder with the repair/maintenance manuals that I have on the Ford 8N. Thanks

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