Can't seem to get points set right

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Landi41
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon May 30, 2011 4:16 am
Location: Glenwood NB Canada

Can't seem to get points set right

Post by Landi41 »

Morning all;

Been lurking for awhile but today i have a question regarding my (i think) Silver Century Plus ser # CPC 31301L, which drives my Vivacity 24 sailboat when there is no favourable wind....

Cutting a long story short it has been working well but stopped the other day out of the blue after 6 hours of continuous running, excepting fill ups...(probably i have close to 20 hours running this summer, sometimes 2 and 3 hours in a stretch)

It seems the points gap had closed up, I don't have a manual but i did some reading of the FAQ, searched the Forum and garnered enough info to have a go at setting the points.....

I have been somewhat successful by sort of hit and miss and i say that because of what i perceive to be my problem....

That is top dead center of the piston, checked with the plug out seems to occur when one of the 4 spokes of the flywheel is directly over the points adjustment screws....

I have tried setting the points before and after the spoke problem and had the motor running but the gap was less than 16 thousands not the required 20....and now after closing everything up the motor refuses to fire.....

also and i don't know about these matters, the points seem to remain open upon flywheel rotation longer than what i'm accustomed to with old Land Rover engine points, i think this is referred to as dwell......It would seem to me the points should remain closed much longer and only open ever so briefly at top dead center......

Have i made any sense with this query :?

Thanks in advance;
Dave Redfern
Glenwood, Kings Co.
New Brunswick,
Canada
Keith.P
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Location: Hertfordshire
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Re: Can't seem to get points set right

Post by Keith.P »

Hi Dave, if you are saying that your points are closing up on their own, it could be a number of things, either the points are not secure, the points are starting to seized up or that you are using the wrong gauge, not saying you are, but I would get inside and give it a good clean & service which saves time in the long run.
I would pull the flywheel to get more access.
Landi41
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon May 30, 2011 4:16 am
Location: Glenwood NB Canada

Re: Can't seem to get points set right

Post by Landi41 »

........
I would pull the flywheel to get more access.
Thank you for that Keith, I'd better "bone up on pulling flywheels"..... :)
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Charles uk
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Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 4:38 pm
Location: Maidenhead Berks UK

Re: Can't seem to get points set right

Post by Charles uk »

Turn the flywheel until the points are open to their widest then set to 20 thou, but don't forget to clean them first.

Don't worry about what your Landy does, this is a Seagull & works on a slightly different principal.
Make it idiot proof and someone will make a better idiot.
Landi41
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon May 30, 2011 4:16 am
Location: Glenwood NB Canada

Re: Can't seem to get points set right

Post by Landi41 »

Thanks Charles

"Make it idiot proof and someone will make a better idiot."

I'm just the guy they had in mind..... :lol:
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Charles uk
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Location: Maidenhead Berks UK

Re: Can't seem to get points set right

Post by Charles uk »

That's there to paint a picture of me, it saves me having to wear a red carnation when I meet people for the first time!
Make it idiot proof and someone will make a better idiot.
Landi41
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon May 30, 2011 4:16 am
Location: Glenwood NB Canada

Re: Can't seem to get points set right

Post by Landi41 »

Well i needed a laugh and you have given it to me......thanks
Dave
Landi41
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon May 30, 2011 4:16 am
Location: Glenwood NB Canada

Re: Can't seem to get points set right

Post by Landi41 »

Landi41 wrote:Well i needed a laugh and you have given it to me......thanks
Dave
Well i got the old lump running again, got out my old Indian Medicin Bag, rattled the bones tossed them out, studied them and came up with the answer..... :mrgreen:
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