Hi guys,
I have a 63 Dart with a 225 /6 with a Carter one barrel. With a Hawk tac/dwell meter, red wire on coil output and black grounded it reads 5 (5000) RPM, is this the desired RPMs? I thought a 1000 was the desired but if I screw out the idle screw any more it begins to struggle for fuel then will shut off so I feel the idle is as low as it can be. Does this mean my distributor needs to be turned a bit? Any advice will be great.
Brian

There is no way you are idling at 5000 rpm, this would be so high you would run because it would sound like it was going to explode on you.


I expect that there is something wrong with your tach you are using, or maybe it has a switched setting to go from 4,6,8 clyinder engines that you have not set right yet.


Also there may different scales to be used on you gauge face and that is reading 500 rpm instead of 5000 rpm. THis would be idling just a little bet to low if it was 500 rpm that it really means.


Jess

Lucky,
I agree with you it would be ready to blow up at 5000 rpms. The tach/dwell meter has a top arch reading for 8 cylinders the below that an arch for 6 cylinders, so I know I'm reading the correct line and the only button is the one to switch from tach to dwell. Frankly by ear the engine sounds good so maybe the tach is faulty as you say.
thanks
Brian

r u sure u have the tach wired up correctly? mine has 4 wires. the black is for GRD. the red is for a 12V source from the ignition switch. the green is for the coil. the white is for the gage backlite(12V source from the headlite circuit).

i've never heard of a tach with only 2 wires.

D~~~!

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Okay I'm the idiot,
My Tach meter says x100 not a 1000 so the tach is fine but mine eyes aren't. So I'm idling at just a little over 800 RPMs which sounds good to me but to keep a good charge and all does it have to be at 1000?
Brian

Wired right?
Yeah, my tach has just a red wire and a black wire. Red to coil output black ground then gives a tach reading and a dwell reading.
Brian

1000 rpm is too fast. 750 is what I like mine at. Then it drops to 550 when I put it in gear. You should be able to idle it lower than 800 rpm without the engine quitting on you.

Tell us what you're trying to do. Do you wan't to idle it as low as possible without the engine struggling? First check your timing. I like to start at 5* BTDC and then advance it to around 10* without any pinging. Then put a vacuum guage on if you have one and see what you're reading. 17hg and above should be sufficient to idle it down to the factory settings. Anything below that and you're going to have problems getting it to idle slower. If you have a points distributor, worn points can also give you trouble when trying to lower the idle down to factory specs.

With a 63 charging system, it is normal for the lights to dim at idle, and show a discharge. This is a single field system. I know from experience if you have a moderate amp with this charging system, the lights will really dim and you really go in to discharge at idle when the bass hits With an auto you really need to set your idle to "spec" or close, with a stick you can "fudge" a bit and set it a few hundred rpm higher. To really "cure" the dim lights and discharge at idle you need to upgrade to the dual field alternator and electronic regulator. Since I upgraded my lights don't even dim when the bass hits. There are plenty of threads on here, just search "alternator upgrade" and you will find plenty of info.

TopHat

It doesnt have to be at 1000 to keep a good charge, even thought it will show a disscharge when you are in gear and at a stop at a lower RPM. This is kinda normall for these old systems, as long as when you bring the RPMs up it goes back to showing a charge it should be fine. There are test you can do to be sure its up to power.


Upgraded systems do charge better, but unless your starting to add other electronics its not a have to do thing.


If your having problems keeping a battery up then test need to be done.



Jess

Thanks for all the info,
I'm sure I can get it to idle around 750 without stalling, is there a "too low" of and RPM?
Thanks again,
brian

I wouldn't go below 500 rpm, with the wipers on, heater, lights, etc., the voltage tends to taper off some, so 600 to 650 is a nice spot in gear. It is a matter of being practical and keeping things lit.

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