TOPIC: using dwell meter on point dizzy

Hi all,

I thought i would start another thread for this question in case anyone else is also curious about this.

This may be a simple and stupid question, but im going to ask anyway.

I have set up my Mark75 distributor points with a borrowed factory degree wheel, that i later copied into CAD so i can create my own.

I have also read that a lot of guys use a dwell meter, and just set the dwell to 60* and leave it.I have an old automotive dwell meter, but im not sure if the readings would be correct?

The meter i have has a setting for 4cyl, 6cyl, and 8cyl, but most cars i have worked on only have one set of points with several lobes on the cam. Not to mention they are four strokes which would only fire every other rotation compared to my MERC firing every revolution.

So my question is how do i use an auto dwell meter on an outboard, or cant i?

Here is my thinking, and im not sure if it is correct,

Since the mercury outboard is really set up as (2) 3 cylinder ignition systems, if i use my dwell meter, and set it to 6cyl, would i divide the number in half to get the correct dwell reading?

Any insight would be helpful. I think i am making this way harder than it need to be.

Scott

Hi Scott, I've not heard of anybody using a dwell meter to set the points on one of these old gals, but here's a link where the Merc guru's went to great lengths to try to explain to me how it goes;
www.fiberglassics.com/fiberglassics-forums/home/mercury-outpost/63-merc-1000-dist-ignition-problem#28297