L-Series Dual Point Distributor Info
I found some info I had posted on Ratsun.net and thought I'd post it here too.
LINK TO INFO ON RATSUN.NET
LINK TO INFO ON RATSUN.NET
If you take the cap off of yours and you have two sets of points, than it's a dual. If someone removed the second set, you'll still see the area where the second set would go. If you have the two, you can either set the second set with a gap so far that that they ever touch, or remove them. You can also find pics in the factory service manual which can be downloaded in several places.
Most people get excited when they hear dual points, but these are not like the ones in american cars. The american cars had them so that they could handle twice the current. The ones in the 521's are purely for emissions. There was a switch in the trans and another on the throttle linkage. When decelerating in 3rd gear, the 2nd set would kick in and retard the timing.......basically useless these days. The 2nd set is not exactly 180 degrees from the primary set, so you do NOT want them in the circuit at any time....unless you really want that emissions feature. Best to just remove the 2nd set.
Your best option is to convert to the matchbox dizzy and run a dedicated ground from the body of the dizzy to the chassis. The additional ground makes them bulletproof.
Another option is to use an HEI module with your points. There's some info on this page.....you can google to find more...
A strong spark at the points is not your goal. No spark would be the best. The coil field collapses through the spark plug when the points open.....the longer it sparks or the stronger it sparks, the less the field goes through the plugs. Points closed charges the coil. When they open, the field collapses. The condenser is there to help make that happen and if it's bad, the process doesn't work well at all. You can google how a points ignition works for a better understanding.
Most people get excited when they hear dual points, but these are not like the ones in american cars. The american cars had them so that they could handle twice the current. The ones in the 521's are purely for emissions. There was a switch in the trans and another on the throttle linkage. When decelerating in 3rd gear, the 2nd set would kick in and retard the timing.......basically useless these days. The 2nd set is not exactly 180 degrees from the primary set, so you do NOT want them in the circuit at any time....unless you really want that emissions feature. Best to just remove the 2nd set.
Your best option is to convert to the matchbox dizzy and run a dedicated ground from the body of the dizzy to the chassis. The additional ground makes them bulletproof.
Another option is to use an HEI module with your points. There's some info on this page.....you can google to find more...
A strong spark at the points is not your goal. No spark would be the best. The coil field collapses through the spark plug when the points open.....the longer it sparks or the stronger it sparks, the less the field goes through the plugs. Points closed charges the coil. When they open, the field collapses. The condenser is there to help make that happen and if it's bad, the process doesn't work well at all. You can google how a points ignition works for a better understanding.