For an affordable street machine you can't beat a set of points. Now most of you must think I'm crazy but its true. If your engine doesn't spool to 6000 RPM, you run pump gas, and you don't have nitrous or a blower then you probably don't need anything more than a set of points in your distributor. Breaker points have a bad reputation because most people don't know how to set them up properly.
    For points to work properly the distributor has to be in good shape. Lube everything up and check the bushings. If the distributor bushings are worn then you won't get a stable dwell. To make the points last longer between adjustments you should polish the breaker cam. The right lube is crucial to point life. Some people use motor oil to lube the breaker cam, DON'T do it. Motor oil will fly off the cam when the motor is running. Use distributor cam lube or camshaft assembly lube, they are designed to stick to the cam. Another thing most people don't consider when installing new points is the contact area. The two contacts should hit dead center, see picture. To align the contacts bend the stationary breaker point bracket. Do NOT bend the breaker arm. Next you should set the dwell. Dwell is the amount of time the points are closed. Set the gap with a feeler gauge to get it running. When its running you can fine tune it with a dwell meter. Closing the gap increases the dwell and widening it decreases the dwell. You should also check the breaker arm spring tension, a 2 or 3 pound pocket fishing scale works perfect. Spring tension is usually 16-32 ounces depending on the application. A low rpm motor can get by with 16-20 ounces where a high rpm motor may need as much as 32 ounces to keep the points from bouncing. Higher spring tension increases the rpm range but also wears down the breaker arm rubbing block faster. If you don't rev your motor very high then lower the spring tension and your points will last a lot longer. When you have everything all set, drive it for a couple days to break-in the new points, then recheck everything and make any necessary adjustments.
    Most guys when changing points will replace the condenser if it needs it or not. This is not always a good idea. A condenser is a simple component and they very rarely go bad. The only bad condenser I've seen was brand new, the wire had broken off inside. The purpose of a condenser is to control the arc across the points when they open. If you have the wrong size condenser it will cause the points to pit. If the stationary ground contact is pitted, the condenser is too small. If the contact on the breaker arm is pitted the condenser is too large. If you are changing your points and neither side is pitted then do not replace your condenser. You may do more harm than good. With the correct condenser a set of points will last a long time without needing to be replaced.

Dual Points
    Points are limited by their mechanical properties. To get a hotter spark you need to pull more amps. Points can only handle about 4 amps. Because breaker point systems have a high primary resistance you need more dwell time to reach 4 amps at higher RPMs. Dual point distributors use two sets of points slightly offset to increase the dwell. Since they are offset they can also have larger point gaps. A standard Ford single point distributor has about 28° dwell with a .014" point gap. A Ford dual point has 33° with a .019" gap. It doesn't sound like much but it makes a big difference. I could feel a noticeable improvement when I converted my single point distributor to a dual point. Since a dual point has larger point gaps it also needs higher breaker spring tension. The factory spec for a Ford dual point is 27-30 ounces.
    Adjusting a dual point is a little different than single points. You need to isolate one set of points at a time to make sure they are both set to the same dwell. You also need to make sure the combined dwell is within spec. My uncle showed me a great way to adjust a dual point distributor. Hook a remote start switch to the starter solenoid and a dwell meter to the distributor. Pull the coil lead off the distributor cap and ground it to the motor. Pull off the distributor cap and rotor so you can get to the points. Place a thin piece of cardboard or plastic between one set of points so they don't make contact. Turn the motor over with the remote start switch (make sure the car is out of gear first) and read the dwell. Then move the cardboard to the other points and measure the dwell again. Adjust the points as needed until both are the same when isolated and give you the proper total dwell when combined. I adjust mine to 26° each which gives me a total of 33°.
    Dual points used to be the best low buck ignition but now they are getting harder to find. I bought a used Accel dual point for $20. It was poorly built, I couldn't get a stable dwell. I shimmed up the shaft but the breaker plate would move around. I got rid of it and bought a Ford dual point for $75. It's a '73 Cobrajet distributor with vacuum advance. I removed the breaker plate and cam and put them in my 289 distributor housing. Can you say sleeper? It is built much better than the Accel unit, I get a rock solid dwell. Most factory dual points cost over $100. Not exactly a low buck speed part. These days an electronic ignition can be a cheaper alternative.

    For those of you who are anti-point and feel I'm wasting web space for even mentioning them, please send hate mail to mrriggs@gofastforless.com. The rest of you, who don't believe everything you read in car magazines, write me at mrriggs@gofastforless.com and let me know what you think.

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