Ignition: Points, Dwell & Timing

Breaker-point ignition reference. Set point gap / dwell first (changing dwell changes timing), then set timing with the vacuum advance disconnected and plugged.

Typical Dwell Angle & Point Gap

Cylinders	Dwell Angle	Point Gap (new points)
4-cylinder	45–50°	0.020"–0.026"
6-cylinder	35–40°	0.018"–0.022"
8-cylinder	28–32°	0.016"–0.019"

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