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[primoj]

I put a new Pertronix electronic distributor in my TR4a and it is overheating. I timed it by ear as I can't figure out the static light. The timing light won't go on either way I spin the dizzy. Is there a different way of hooking up the light now that I switched to electonic ignition? Can the timing be that advanced or retarded that I am just not turning the dizzy enough? And will timing that far off make my car overheat? Is there any connection between timing and overheating. The entire cooling system has checked out okay. It's seems to be running great, but it starts to boil over after 10-15 minutes. Thanks.

[Bob Muzio]

If the timing is too retarded or advanced overheating will occur. I'd suggest putting the old dizzy back in, setting the timing with a static light and then seeing if it overheats. If it doesn't overheat then you know it's the timing and might need to invest in a timing gun with the advance feature built in and re-time it when you reinstall the Pertronix dizzy.
I tried that distributor and found that I could only time it with the gun, not with a static light. I also didn't like the advance curve on the Pertronix dizzy. I experienced "flat" acceleration, no pep. I reinstalled the old dizzy which I had previously installed the Pertronix Ignitor kit and found the power I was used to.
Bob

[Dan B]

Or you could find TDC by checking either the valves with the valve cover removed, or the compression on #1 cylinder, then set your dizzy to #1 at TDC and advance it from there.  You really don't need a light for static timing unless Pertronix takes away  the vernier adjustment.
Does anybody know how much advance this motor will take?

[Bob Muzio]

The Pertronix dizzy doesn't have the vernier adjustment on the vac adv unit.
Bob