Pontiac FIREBIRD 1972 Service Manual page 801

ENGINE ELECTRICAL 6E-39
point alignment of service contact set have been pre-
adjusted at factory. Only point opening requires adjusting
after replacement.
Distributors are designed to use ONLY snap-lock (push-
in) contact sets which provide clearance between the lead
clips and the new R.F.I. shield. For replacement, snap-
lock type contact sets MUST be used to maintain this
clearance.
Screw-type contact sets will not provide the necessary
clearance to avoid the possibility of the lead clips or the
screw touching either the shield or the insulating tape.
Touching the shield grounds the primary circuit prevent-
ing the engine from starting. Due to vibration of parts,
lead clips or screws may intermittently touch the shield or
wear through the tape kausing erratic vehicle operation
and possible total loss of ignition.
Fig. 6E-54 Timing Marks on V-8 Engine
contact set assembly in place.
Fig. 6E-55 Sighting Timing Marks on "F" Cars With A/C
INSPECT
With distributor removed from vehicle it is advisable to
place distributor in a distributor testing machine or syn-
chroscope. When mounting distributor in tester, first se-
cure gear in drive mechanism, then push distributor
housing down toward gear to take up end play between
gear and housing, and finally secure housing in tester. Test
distributor for variation of spark, correct centrifugal and
vacuum advance, and condition of contacts. This test will
give valuable information on distributor condition and
indicate parts replacement which may be necessary.
REPLACE CONTACT SET
The contact point set and condenser are replaced as one
complete assembly. The breaker lever spring tension and
Replace contact set as follows:
1. Remove rotor.
2. Remove R.F.I. shield (Fig. 6E-56A).
3. Remove two attaching screws which hold base of
Fig. 6E-56A Removing R.F.I. Shield