A match book cover works just fine

Most have heard of using a match book cover to set point gap. Last weekend I was wheeling a friend’s flattie in NH and it was running horrible. The contact points looked to be open more then .020 so I used a match book cover to set the gap (I forgot my feeler gauge). After setting the gap I double checked it with a dwell meter and it was dead on at 42. I set the timing by rpm and leaned out the carb and it ran much better.

That is all.

 

For years, I didn't own a set of feeler gages. I had a spark plug gage a matchbook and my ear. That is how I was taught to set up an engine, so that was how I did it. I was almost 30 before I started using things like dwell meters, vacuum gages and timing lights.

 

Learned that trick from Dad. But his comment was, it works for if your on the side of the road replacing the points on a VW flat 4 with no feeler gauge. But a real feeler gauge is best.

He loves to tell the story of being stuck on the side of the road in the White Mountains in a snow storm replacing the points on his Bug because they had burned out again. Doing it with a match book and making it to see my Mom at UVT.

edit: I should say I know the trick but being that I have never set points in my life I have no clue how to do it.

 

You at least know what points are. There are a lot of drivers out there that don't have a clue what points are!

 

They are in the rear axle right?

 

Oh, so THAT's what's at the top of my head!

 

Actually they are on the compass in my hand. Ya know 'and all points west!'

 

I was taught with a dollar bill folded the correct number of times. It was so long ago a can't remember how many though.....

 

:iagree:

 

i learned what they are
what they do
and how to set them here.

and yes
i have actually done it..