Hello, Ich want to set the ignition on a 3500 from 1960. Thanks to Ivans collection of Manuals, i have nearly all the needed data. But i can't find any Information about the dwell angle. How do you set it, or do you just set the spark gap to 0.4mm without measuring the angle? Thank you, Hendrik
You mention the spark gap but I think you mean point gap. Setting the point gap to a dwell spec with a dwell meter is optimum but just using .4mm will be fine, you will probably not feel the difference. Disclaimer: My answer is not Maserati specific, this applies to all 1960 era cars with distributors.
Hello Jumprun, OK, Thank you, i will do it like this way and maybe take the twell angle of both points for comparison. If course i meants the point gap, thanks Best regards, Hendrik
I like to time one ignition bank approximately 2 degrees from the other. Somewhere I read that is gives a better burn. Ivan
Thank you, Ivan. I have been setting the Ignition with two 12V "test lamps" so that the contacts open and close at nearly the same Point when turning the crankshaft. Afterwards I have been setting them to open about 10 degree before top dead Center, which worked quite well. Then I checked the Timing curve with an "ignition timing pistol". I also adjusted the valve clearance and the idling setting of the carbs. The car runs a lot better now, but not perfect. It smells like burned oil, though you cant see any smoke from the exhaust and the spark plugs are looking good on all cylinders. It did a compression measurement that shows good compression on all cylinders. Next I will do a compression loss test and I hope it gives me an explanation for the smell. Best Regards, Hendrik
