Breaker Plate stuck/Vacuum advance/Quick help please

[GG-1]

Hello All & Happy Carlisle Weekend to those who made the trip,

Needing some expert guidance right now. I'm alone and have about 4 hours to figure out this distributor/vacuum advance issue(s).
I'm finally back at the garage of my 67 Plymouth Fury VIP after a month away.. GG needs mechanical work.. plenty of top end diagnostics to be done. I want to drive her for at least part of this lovely summer! So I've decided to start at the ignition system. I disconnected the battery. Removed distributor cap and detached vacuum hose from carburetor. Then sucked on hose to check vacuum advance.. and nothing moved. Like I was trying to suck air from a stone. Hose is clear and solid. As I watched for the breaker plate to turn a bit, nothing. It is stuck. Solid. I cannot even jiggle it a little by hand.
This might explain why she has no power under load.. she can't even get up to 30mph. No advance? She doesn't jump forward when put into gear/drive like she should. And in gear she can't get out of her own way.. and I hear this poofy, popping from the carburetor when I get on the throttle a little like it's sucking too much air or not getting enough fuel. She starts up easily and seems pretty good at idle.
I also found that the insulation is cracked and exposing the copper wire right where it connects at the coil(lead points contact wire).
Can someone please tell me why the breaker plate won't move, and how to remedy this?
Btw, the vacuum hose is pliable, and not clogged or broken in any way.
I don't know if the timing is off. I don't know if the points are set/gapped correctly.. I don't have a feeler gauge to check. Nothing looks corroded or rusted at all. The points and condenser were changed when I got the car two years ago.. but has driven poorly ever since. Maybe the coil is bad too?
So many things to test, but I started with this.. and would like to figure it out tonight.. at least ONE thing tonight.

Keep in mind I am just learning about this stuff.. all of your help is so greatly appreciated! Again, my main thing is the stuck breaker plate. I'm almost considering removing the whole distributor and taking it home to learn about it, clean it, lube the proper parts and set it up correctly with good points, cap etc........ thanks in advance fellow C-friends.

Alex & GG

 

[Wildaugust]

That sucks having that happen! I have been able to free them up in the past by just spraying or removing and soaking them in penetrant, WD-40, Liquid Wrench, etc. Don't get it on the points contacts. If it hasn't been seized for too long it might break it loose. Is the breaker plate/advance plate still in the dizzy or did you remove it? Could it be binding somehow?

 

[GG-1]

That sucks having that happen! I have been able to free them up in the past by just spraying or removing and soaking them in penetrant, WD-40, Liquid Wrench, etc. If it hasn't been seized for too long it might break it loose. Is the breaker plate/advance plate still in the dizzy or did you remove it? Could it be binding somehow?

Hey there,
Yes the breaker plate is still in the dizzy, I haven't removed anything but the rotor and vacuum line.. there are zero signs of moisture or corrosion so I don't suspect that's what's seizing it up... Should I start removing things one by one.. not sure how to do it without damaging something.. btw, Do my symptoms fall in line with the ones you experienced when your breaker plate seized up?
It seems to be binding but no clue how or why.

 

[Wildaugust]

IIRC, once you remove the little clip from the arm of the vacuum canister, remove the screws holding the breaker plate, it should lift right out. If it doesn't, be careful and don't force it. The last time it happened to me, it wasn't stuck completely but sticking enough to affect performance and make the engine run eratic. If I hadn't caught it when I did it would have siezed completely.

 

[GG-1]

Ok, I got the vacuum chamber clip screws removed and the canister is now loose, but still attached to the breaker plate.. and when I move the canister back and forth the breaker plate rotates.. it is only when the vacuum canister is affixed to the distributor body does the breaker plate freeze up... so, if the little arm coming from the the canister is supposed to have movement, no luck. Must be frozen in the canister somehow? So maybe I just need a new vacuum canister.
Any idea how i remove the canister arm from the breaker plate safely?

 

[Turboomni]

When applying vacuum to the canister does it move at all? If not that most likely is your problem. Got a pic of the vacuum canister? WHat engine is this for? 383 /440?
If it goes under the plate like my 440 you are going to have problems finding one.

 

[GG-1]

When applying vacuum to the canister does it move at all? If not that most likely is your problem. Got a pic of the vacuum canister? WHat engine is this for? 383 /440?
If it goes under the plate like my 440 you are going to have problems finding one.

 

[Turboomni]

Like this.

 

[GG-1]

Hi, Yes it's a 383 commando.. and no, nothing moved when i applied vacuum. I attached a pic of the canister hanging loose but still connected to the plate..

will that just pop out?

 

[Turboomni]

Got a pic of the canister?

 

[Turboomni]

Yes it will pop out

 

[GG-1]

Ok it's out, and it does not move at all.. is there a trick to revitalizing this or is it trash now?
And have I completely messed up my timing by removing it, and or the breaker plate?

 

[GG-1]

Where did you find your replacement canister? Bad idea to get an NOS unit? Just thinking diaphragm might be dried out in an old stock unit.

 

[Turboomni]

I will tell you an option. Cardone has rebuilt points distributors believe it or not. They are cheap but I found the cheapest price at 38 dollars for a complete dizzy for my points car at AutoZone. Anywhere else can be 80 bucks or more. Order one up, pull a vacuum on the new reman dizzy and if all is well put it in your old dizzy. It should hold a vacuum with no leaks. Reason I say that is because my reman Cardone dizzy vacuum canister DID NOT hold vacuum but the dizzy itself was much better as my old one had a few cam lobes worn down. Another option is Tonysparts.com is coming out with this vacuum advance to fill the void but won't be out till at least August of this year. I went through all of this a few months ago. Luckily my old dizzy I kept had a good vacuum advance.

 

[Turboomni]

Bad idea to get an NOS unit?

As far as I know there are no NOS units.

 

[Turboomni]

You need a good feeler gauge set and a dwell meter

 

[Turboomni]

If the Cardone unit's vacuum advance does NOT hold vacuum or move with vacuum return it for another.

 

[GG-1]

Got a pic of the canister?

I will tell you an option. Cardone has rebuilt points distributors believe it or not. They are cheap but I found the cheapest price at 38 dollars for a complete dizzy for my points car at AutoZone. Anywhere else can be 80 bucks or more. Order one up, pull a vacuum on the new reman dizzy and if all is well put it in your car. It should hold a vacuum with no leaks. Reason I say that is because my reman Cardone dizzy vacuum canister DID NOT hold vacuum but the dizzy itself was much better as my old one had a few cam lobes worn down. Another option is Tonysparts.com is coming out with this vacuum advance to fill the void but won't be out till at least August of this year. I went through all of this a few months ago. Luckily my old dizzy I kept had a good vacuum advance.

Ha! Thanks, great idea. I'm guessing my dizzy is probably fine, cam lobes and all.. only 14k original miles, but, all the damn rubber in the car is 50 years old and some fails & needs replacing. So I obviously need a new vacuum advance from somewhere.
When I put a new one in is it difficult to adjust it properly? I've heard that the original adjustment setting should be left untouched if possible.. did i somehow just throw it all off? Sorry, I am so green when it comes to this, but thrilled to be learning.

 

[GG-1]

You need a good feeler gauge set and a dwell meter

Ok yeah, I've heard its best to use brass, non-magnetic feeler gauges.

 

[Turboomni]

Don't know about non metallic etc. There is no electricity going anywhere when I set the points.
There are alot of vids on you tube about it and dwell meters. Don't be alarmed,,guys have been doing this for one hundred years.