1980 911SC Distributor Recurve Results

[bit]

Hi Guys,

Just wanted to add my latest problem resolution experience, to the database here.

You all may remember by previous long winded posts on my car, if not, look here;

DUDES!! My Winter projects are DONE!! WOOHOO!!


So, I've had the following annoyiong symptoms with my 1980 911SC (Row Japan 930/08 engine) after I did all my work to it over the winter.

1. It would occasionally hesitate (miss) starting at 4000 all the way up to 6000+rpm. Very annoying, and very intermittent. Tried checking everything to fix this with no avail. Thought it was my MSD 6AL, but the original CD box and coil had the same issue when I temporarily re-installed them. Re-gapped the plugs down to .70mm (and less) with zero difference made.

2. The Tach would bounce erratically at idle (it would actually sit there and hop around 1000 to 1400 rpm and got worse when the car was warmed up). The Tach was was also not working properly between 3000 at 4000 rpm, it would litterally jump from 3k to 4k in a microsecond as you were accelerating, and it was bouncing at other rpms too. Once again thought it was the MSD, as the problem did "diminish" (almost completely gone) with the original CD Box re-installed, so at this point I was really looking at the MSD as the culprit again.

3. A while ago (when I first got the car), I had to adjust the distributor by one tooth in its' seat so that I could supply more static advance properly to the ignition timing. I had originally set it to 5deg BTDC as per spec, but it ran horrible. I usually set the at 12 degrees at idle. With my rudimentray timing gun I eyeballed that I was only getting about 10 degrees of mechanical advance from the diz at 4000rpm. A grand total of just 22 degrees at around 4000rpm (my guess), so this I knew was not correct at all and I knew I had to get this fixed some day.

Initially, I though that most of the problems listed above were caused by a possible flakey MSD 6AL that I installed in my car last year. I though it was failing. After talking with my Porche tech, we already knew there was abviously something wrong with the diz curve, so I decided to wing it and just have it rebuilt.

So the search for a company that recurves/rebuilds distributors began, and I found Kerrisdale Speed in Surrey here (Bud Bennet is a great guy), just 4kms from my home. What luck, It appears that this was one of the few places in the lower mainland that can recurve distributors. (Is this becoming a lost art?)

This was the first Porsche distributor he's done (he mostly works on American cars), but since he's worked on mine, he figures they are no problem to do. Just my first one took him about 3 hours. So he hooked my diz up to his machine, and verified 11 degree max. mech advance at 4200 rpm.

He noticed that there was an unusual stop that was prventing any advance beyond 11 degrees. The weights were also "lazy". He figured that Porsche supplied this unique distributor for the Japanese market to limit the max advance to possibly accommodate their crappy gas out there. So he ripped out the weights and springs and installed new ones and started grinding/testing them, and set the advance curve to provide 20 degrees max advance at 2800rpm. He told me to set my static timing to 12 to 14 degrees at idle. So I should achieve 32 to 34 at 2800 rpm.

Cost me $150Cdn. Best (and least) money I ever spent on this car to accomplish so much (next to the window switches I replaced before).

All my problems that I listed; the hesitation, tach problems, and off-installed distributor are now GONE!! My car now no longer has ANY ailments and I can honestly say, it's perfect!! I even stuck my old CD Box back in, messing about, and let me tell you guys, the MSD makes a very noticible difference up to 3000rpm (so to all you naysayers, I have the evidence that proves the improvement that MSD provides at lower rpms). I regapped the Bosch WR7DC plugs to 1.1mm for the MSD and still no hestitation problems, MSD is running just great!! Cold starts in the car is MUCH smoother, and so is general driving and acceleration.

So, the moral of the story? Get you distributor checked if you have similar symptoms to mine. It's cheap. I was shocked that it fixed so many of the annoyances. Also, to boot, I used to hear some sqeaking when I first started the car cold in the mornings, yes it was the diz, and since it's now rebuilt and re lubed, this problem is gone too.

Everything is so peacful now, sigh.....

Take Care all...

.Steven
1980 911SC

[GrantA]

Hi Steven,

Thanks for this info, very comprehensive, I will add it to my ever increasing list of "Guidance Notes". I bet your are pleased with yourself having solved this annoying problem. Looking back at your previous threads your car looks good and the engine detail stunning, something for me to emulate over the coming months.

LOL, Grant
_____________
1978 911SC Targa (Needs more work onit)
1991 964 Turbo (son's car used when I feel the need for real speed!)

[RoninLB]

good heads up

[ruf-porsche]

Perhaps you can throw a little business his way and mention the location and phone number of the company that recurve your dizzy.

An email address will be also very nice.

[bit]

Hi,

The guy's name is;

Bud Bennett
C/O Kerrisdale Speed Centre
13423 78 Avenue 101
Surrey, BC V3W0A8
Canada
(604) 572-0880
(604) 572-0880 (fax)

I think he did a great job.

.Steven
1980 911SC

[Charlie V]

Update......

Just had my dizzy recurved to the same specs as Steve. Put it back into the engine tonight and went for a spin - what a difference!! Crisper bottom with strong middle. The best part - car pulls like an SOB to redline.

Need to do a little more fine tuning on timing and mixture, but very pleased with the result.

Bud sold the business to Mark.

Kerrisdale Speed Ltd.
#3 - 2345 Windsor Street
Abbotsford, BC, V2T 6M1

http://www.marksauto.ca/

[Charlie V]

need to add........

vacuum lines to distributor are removed and plugged.