200 CID 6 Cyl Engine Specs

Here are the specifications for a 200 CID 6 Cyl engine:

Spark plugs	BF-82
Gap	0.034
Point Dwell	38 degs.
Point Gap	0.027 in
Timingman &auto	6 degs. BTDC
Idle speed	man-700 rpm auto-550*(a/c off)
Oil pressure	35-60 psi
1 barrel	Autolite 1100
Cam type	HYD
Bore and stroke	3.68 x 3.13
Compression Ratio	8.8 to 1

I'm not sure if the timing number is right. I've seen a couple people use 8 or 12 degrees, so I think I need to get a manual to find out for sure...

Dwell meter redeemed

So the dwell meter does work! It turns out the red lead on the dwell meter goes to the negative terminal on the ignition coil, despite the instructions on the dwell meter that say to do the opposite...

With the points set to .025", I measured around 38 degrees dwell. Exactly right!



Now I need to adjust the idle using the tachometer function provided by the dwell meter.

(Old) New Toys

A coworker graciously gave me his dad's old timing light, dwell meter, and torque wrench. They're vintage and awesome.

The timing light seems to be working just fine. Here it is hooked up to the #1 spark plug:





I think the dwell meter is broken, because it doesn't seem to respond when I change the points.

The Tune-Up

At last I've given the Falcon a tune-up. New spark plugs, wires, distributor cap, rotor, and contact breakers (points). Everything except the condenser, which neither NAPA nor O'Reilley's had in stock.

First I replaced the plugs, wires and distributor cap. I found out that the spark plugs needed to be gapped to 0.035", which they already were. And happily, the distributor had numbers on top that corresponded to each cylinder so I wasn't worried about mixing up the wires.

Here's before/after:




Here are the old spark plugs (Autolite).


These are the new ones:


Then I replaced the rotor and the points (inside the distributor).

These are the points (old ones the left).


Unfortunately I didn't know what to set the gap to. The manager at O'Reilley's suggested we start with 0.016". So we did. I think that's way off, though. The 1966 Mustang had a 200 cid 6cyl as well and (according to this link) the points need to be set at 0.025", with a dwell of around 39 deg. Next week I'm supposed to be getting a dwell meter from someone at work, so I'll be able to check it.

I also adjusted the ignition timing, using Albie's timing light. I adjusted it to 12 degrees Before Top Dead Center (BTDC). That number came from another 1966 Mustang forum post.

After all that, it doesn't seem to be running any better. Probably because the points aren't set right. I'll have to try adjusting them later.

Idle

I took the Falcon to work today. Steve, a coworker, adjusted the idle. He lowered the idle speed and richened the idle mix (about 0.75 turns in). It's now running much smoother.

The Carburetor

Today I took off the air filter to check out the carburetor. It's pretty small, but I'm told it's somewhat important. Here's what it looks like:

Here's the idle speed screw. It adjusts how far the throttle plate can close when the car idling.

Here's the idle mixture adjustment screw.

Now all I have to do is adjust them...