crane electronic ignition question.

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Deuce
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crane electronic ignition question.

Post by Deuce »

I installed an electronic ignition. Everything went well except one thing bothers me, the cam lubrication wick bolt. Can i remove that because it comes really close to the shutter. Now that the points are removed there is no need for this that I know of, but im not sure if something else might be effected. Halp! Halp me puleeease! Oh yea its on my 63 monza 900
Deuce

63 Chevrolet Corvair Monza 900
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bbodie52
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Re: crane electronic ignition question.

Post by bbodie52 »

Image

From the photograph it appears that the lubrication wick mounting bolt also serves as a pivot point of the mounting plate that is linked to the vacuum advance assembly. Although the lubricating sponge portion is no longer needed to lubricate the distributor cam, the mounting bolt itself may be needed to provide the attachment of the rotating mounting plate to the base plate.

If careful physical examination of the breaker plate assembly verifies that this bolt does serve as the pivot point for the upper assembly, you will have to leave it alone. I believe that if you remove the lubricating sponge material you will find a spring wrapped around the mounting bolt. That spring assembly may also be necessary part of the breaker plate assembly.
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Re: crane electronic ignition question.

Post by terribleted »

The bolt is needed as the plate pivots on it. There can be interference issues with the shutter of the Crane unit especially if the point plate is a rebuilt unit with the larger bolt installed. The solution is to grind the bolt head down so there is more clearance below the shutter. Move the distributor shaft up and down to make sure the shutter can not contact the bolt. As long as there is even a little clearance with the shutter fully pressed down and the distributor shaft also down as far as it goes there will be no trouble. You must leave enough head on the bolt to ensure the spring can not come off allowing the plate to come loose. This solution has worked for me on multiple installs. I had one distributor that was so vertically sloppy that even grinding the bolt off was not enough. The shims and bushings in the distributor were too worn allowing too much slop. A different distributor(rebuilt) was the answer in this case.
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acarlson
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Re: crane electronic ignition question.

Post by acarlson »

There is also a small amount of vertical play in the LED sensor mount. If you can, move the sensor up and move the shutter up. I had to do that with my XR-700.
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Deuce
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Re: crane electronic ignition question.

Post by Deuce »

Awesome guys! This is what I needed to know. I was pretty sure it served more than one purpose but I had never encountered a situation like this. Sadly though I'm having what seems to be fuel issues now. fuel pump is working, spark is working, battery is fine, I'm thinking that it sucked some garbage into the carbs and jets might be clogged. Haven't checked the filters yet, but I will when I get home. It's been running like a champ since I got it up and running back in June, it just started this last night when coming home.

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Deuce

63 Chevrolet Corvair Monza 900
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Re: crane electronic ignition question.

Post by terribleted »

acarlson wrote: Sun Sep 03, 2017 11:47 am There is also a small amount of vertical play in the LED sensor mount. If you can, move the sensor up and move the shutter up. I had to do that with my XR-700.
It has always worried me to put the shutter in not pushed all the way down. There is pretty good tension so in theory it should not shift, but, to be sure I have always relieved the point plate screw to ensure clearance regardless.
Corvair guy since 1982. I have personally restored at least 20 Vairs, many of them restored ground up.
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Deuce
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Re: crane electronic ignition question.

Post by Deuce »

Update on the fuel issue. I've never seen a mechanical fuel pump work one second and not the next. But that seems to be what's happening. So ordering another one from Clark's and I'm gonna take this one apart to see why.

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bbodie52
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Re: crane electronic ignition question.

Post by bbodie52 »

There are a couple of things to check before you blame the pump. The mechanical pump must create a vacuum in the fuel line between the fuel tank and the pump inlet to suck gasoline all the way from the tank to the pump. Once the fuel arrives the pump pressurizes the lines to delivers fuel to each carburetor inlet. If an air leak develops anywhere between the fuel tank outlet and the fuel pump inlet the fuel will never arrive for the pump to turn it around to deliver t at the correct pressure to the carburetors. (Like trying to drink through a straw that is split in the side).

There are two short rubber hoses in the fuel path from the tank -- one at the tank outlet and the other near the starter motor. If either hose is cracked or loose (poor hose clamp seal or split hose) the pump will come up empty. If you find the hoses to be in poor condition, replace them with new hoses and good stainless clamps. Then test your pump output for correct pressure AND adequate volume delivery to the carburetors (following the procedure outlined in the FUEL SYSTEM section of the Corvair Shop Manual).

Also confirm that the pump is properly inserted at the correct depth into the oil filter/generator adaptor. The bolt and lock nut that secures it does not just push against the side of the pump. The end of the bolt is tapered and the point fits into a hole in the side of the pump shaft. If the pump is not inserted and secured at the proper depth, the engine push rod will not reach the pump rod to properly drive the pump with a full stroke.
Brad Bodie
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Deuce
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Re: crane electronic ignition question.

Post by Deuce »

I found no problems with the lines. The pump that was in it hadn't been put in correctly and your right about the bolt. So I put this pump in. When I checked to see if it was pumping it seems the diaphragm rod is binding occasionally. Not sure how that is happening, but I guess that is why it's working intermittently. Thanks for the help, these are easily overlooked areas.

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Deuce

63 Chevrolet Corvair Monza 900
Deuce
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Re: crane electronic ignition question.

Post by Deuce »

Just so you know this pump is three months old. The way it sounds is I just got it. Sorry I didn't explain that.

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Deuce

63 Chevrolet Corvair Monza 900
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