I recently purchased a '79 SA. The car doesn't run great, but it does run. While driving if the engine loads up (for example under full throttle acceleration or going up a hill while cruising) the engine detonates (pings) pretty badly. What is the likely cause of this? I suspect the problem is ignition timing. Do I need a timing gun to set it properly, or do I have to set the distributor points somehow? Sorry, I'm a newbie so that probably sounds like a really retarded question.

Thanks for any help.

 

Hmmm I would take a look at the timing, I am not really experienced with the older points style ignition but try and borrow a timing gun. Check that you are getting spark on all 4 spark plugs, and make sure your timing is set at the stock position that is marked on the front pulley.

 

Points need to be set first. Dwell angle is 58*+/- 3* for both lead and trail. Then set timing by the marks on the pulley, yellow for lead, red for trail. If the color is gone, the leading is the first notch to come by the pin.

 

Points suck,you have to do the point gap and overall timing to get it right....dwell angle and all that jazz.

Best thing you can do is pitch the mess and install 81-85 ignition components.Youll save a lot of future maintenence.....unless you have to remain smog legal,in which case you should probably go with 1980 igntion stuff.Thatll get you the "set and forget" electronic contacts,but retain the trailing spark cuttoff thats needed to keep the 79-80's thermal reactors cooking, and your smog numbers low.

And please dont make the car detonate/ping anymore.Rotaries hate that and its a sure fire way to pop the apex seals,among other things.It dont take much to kill a rotary with detonation,....BUT.... it does take a lot of mistuning to get a non-turbo rotary to detonate in the first place.
Your timing must be WAY off, or you have other maintenence issues like bad gas,clogged fuel filter,carbon buildup, ect......

 

What kind of a tool do you use to check the dwell angle? I have the Haynes manual and it says use a 'dwell angle meter'. I'm pretty confused about this whole process, but I think I'll try to tackle it on Saturday. I've never worked on a car with a distributor in my life, so this is a new experience for me.

 

You can pick up a dwell meter at the local parts store. Get one that has a tach function included. If you want to save yourself maintinance and headaches, upgrade the ignition as Steve suggested.

 

Yeah, you should upgrade to a later model dist. because I have one for sale. heheheh
Seriously, though.. Points sound like a PITA to deal with.. Not sure about all that emissions stuff, but electronic distributors are easier to deal with than point based ones. They don't "drift" after awhile. Which is probably what happened to yours. You should also definitely change fuel filters.