Setting points on 18R-C

[Jimmy]

I need to replace the points and the condenser inside my dizzy cos both are stuffed. I've got a feeler gauge and what I'm told are the necessary tools but my idea of how to do it exactly is a bit vague and I'm a little sketchy on trusting anything I've read online since it's not specific to my car. Plus I don't know what the gap needs to be set to

Help would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.

[oldeskewltoy]

Not sure what the inside of an 18RC dist looks like... but the points and condensor go in a specified positions. install them in their positions, tighten the mounting screw for the condensor, SNUG only the screw for the points.

On the points there is a rubbing board. a small block that rubs against the distributor shaft. The distributor shaft is not round where it rubs, but has four sides with rounded corners.

You want to rotate the engine by hand to get the peak of the rounded corner to be perfectly inline with the rubbing board on the points.

Now using your feeler gauge stick the gauge between the two contact parts on the points. The points are only snug. Look for the adjustment slot(too fit a flat blade screw driver) and gently pry the points so the feeler gauge slips in and out without moving the points, yet never leave contact with the 2 surfaces until the gauge is removed. Once this is set, tighten the screw.........

There is a far more accurate way to set points.... it is called setting them by dwell angle. It uses a meter to determine the exact place for the points. In an 18RC the likely best way is to remove all 4 plugs, that way when you crank the engine there is nothing restricting the engine(compression) so that you get a more accurate dwell reading......

[dundee230966]

Mate, the gap on ya points shoud be 18 thou. Once ya get the new points in and have set them to the required gap, turn ya motor over by hand till the timing marks align on the harmonic balance pully, from memory it is 7 degrees btdc. once ya have that done undo the 12 mm bolt that holds the base of the dissy and slowly turn it one way or the other till ya hear the points click when they open, oh yeah ya have to have the ignition turned on to hear this. I have always done my 18rc like this for the last 25 years never any trouble. A better way is to get a dissy and a trigger out of a 22r and convert ya 18r dissy to full electronic. Now that is the duck nuts and it only take sabout 1 hour to complete.