Pontiac FIREBIRD 1972 Service Manual page 739

ENGINE TUNE-UP 6C-3
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INSPECTION O F DISTRIBUTOR CLEANING 6 INSPECTION OF CLEANING 6 INSPECTION OF
CAP TOWERS OUTSIDE O F DISTRIBUTOR CAP INSIDE O F DISTRIBUTOR CAP
REPLACING DISTRIBUTOR
CAP
CLEANING TOWER INSERT
INSPECTION O F CARBON
ROTOR BUTTON
Fig. 6C-1 Inspecting Rotor and Distributor C ~ D
IGNITION SYSTEM SERVICE AND
REPAIRS
Replace brittle or damaged spark plug wires. Install
all wires to proper spark plug. Proper positioning of
spark plug wires in wire supports is important on V-8
engines to prevent cross-firing.
Tighten all ignition system connections.
Replace or repair any wires that are frayed, loose or
damaged.
Remove distributor cap, clean cap and inspect for
cracks, carbon tracks and burned or corroded termi-
nals. Replace cap where necessary.
Clean rotor and inspect for damage or deterioration.
Replace rotor where necessary.
Check the distributor centrifugal advance mech-
anism by turning the distributor rotor as far as possi-
ble, then releasing the rotor to see if the springs
return it to its original position. If the rotor does not
return readily, the distributor must be disassembled
and the cause of the trouble corrected.
7. Check to see that the vacuum advance control oper-
ates freely by turning the movable breaker plate to see
if the spring returns to its original position. Any stiff-
ness in the operation of the spark control will affect
the ignition timing. Correct any interference or bind-
ing condition noted.
8. Examine distributor points and clean or replace if
necessary.
Contact points with an' overall gray color and
only slight roughness or pitting need not be re-
placed.
Dirty points should be cleaned with a clean point
file.
Use only a few strokes of a clean, fine-cut contact
file. The file should not be used on other metals
and should not be allowed to become greasy or
dirty. Never use emery cloth or sandpaper to
clean contact points since particles will embed
and cause arcing and rapid burning of points. Do
not attempt to remove all roughness or dress the
point surfaces down smooth. Merely remove scale
or dirt.