Spark Plug & Ignition System Upgrades Advice for 78 Pace Arrow (Dodge)

[vacuumbed]

Hi everyoneone,
This MH has the 440-3 that fires right up and runs good, but is lacking some power. 

I know that the Autolite 23 is the recommended plug for this, but it currently has AC R44TS plugs in it now that are black. These are a hotter plug and they are still black. Has anyone tried running like a R45TS plug in this engine?

I am also going to replace the distributor and coil with a HEI type setup and 8MM wires. This leads to another question. Has anyone tried to open the gap to .045 with aftermarket ignition?

[vacuumbed]

I ended up buying AC/Delco R45TS, one notch hotter and I'm going to gap them at .045.

[Oz]

I'm no expert, but if your plugs are consistently black, especially after changing your plugs, I'd look at your fuel/air mixture.  It may not be that your spark isn't strong enough, entirely, but that you're either getting too much fuel, or not enough air (the latter being my guess).

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

Without knowing the details of your setup, it's hard to suggest anything.  First be familure with the background information at http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php?topic=4215.0.  That is still a work in progress but delves into some of what your asking about.

1. Constantly black will be a Fuel mixture issue.  Are you using the stock Thermoquad or have you replaced it with a Edelbrock or Holley carburator?  Different issues for different carbs.  Most carbs used a plastic float.  They degrade with age and allow the fuel level to rise resulting in a rich mixture.  Both plastic and copper floats are available.
2.  In order to increase to .045" gap, you will have to have at least a 42,000 volt  high performance coil.  Thats not the racing coils.
3.  If you did convert to HEI:
     A. HEI cannot use the stock Dodge coil nor does it need a ballast resistor.
     B. Does the HEI setup have both centrifugal and vacuum advance?  Centrifugal advance is for performance.  Vacuum advance is for fuel economy.  If either feature is missing you will be unhappy in the end.  Only other option is computerized ignition.
4.  Using raw engine or ported vacuum advance?  Setups and effects are greatly different.  Stock for 74 and later is ported.  HAve you mapped your advance curves yet?  Have you verified timing chain has not streched?
5.  This will not create a rich mixture, but is your EGR circuit (74 up) working properly?

Dave

[vacuumbed]

Thanks for the good info.

I bought a HEI type distributor from ebay with male post distributor cap, and I got a coil off of a 1995 Ford Taurus. This Ford coil has a male post and I found out it is used on applications that have a gap as large as .054.