The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop correct procedure for point gap

What's the correct procedure for setting point gap? Do any of you have a best practice you follow?

What about adjusting a carb? Is 2 turns out a good starting point for the mixture?

I adjusted my idle screw to keep it running then played with the mixture screw and lowered the idle back down. Ran good, then the next day it started, but bogged down and died when I gave it gas. Now, it doesn't want to start again.

Thanks,
Jeff

Get the distributor shaft with the little cam with one of the bumps holding the points open. Use a clean feeler guage to set the point gap to the reccommended spec. secure the hold down screw and re-check the setting ( should have a very slight drag on the feeler guage when inserting between the point contacts). I prefer setting the points with a dewll meter as it can get the adjustment much closer than a feeler guage but the feeler guage is a good pre-setting.
Two turns on the air fuel screw is a good place to start. WHen you say it started the next day ,ran and then bogged and died without restarting, was there any fuel leaking around the base of the carburetor? Symptoms of a stuck float in the carb.
It could just be a little rich on the fuel mixture screw. Do you have access to a tachometer? Should set the carb adjusted to about 20 to 25 rpm less than the highest setting. use a lean roll, meaning turn the screw in so you have a 20 to 25 rpm drop from highest rpm at idle.
You can use an unlit propane torch and with the engine running and warmed up, aim the unlit torch down the carb for about 2 to 4 seconds. If the engine boggs down, the mixture screw is adjusted too rich. you should get a 20 to 25 rpm gain if you use the propane torch. This is called the artificial enrichment method and it works very well.

2 questions:

1.what is the correct gap for my engine, a 235
2. where is this mixture screw? and where has it been all my life.
i have a single barrel rochester carb.

hep me

Point gap is .015 used, .019 new points. The idle mixture screw is near the base of the carb, it has a slot head with a spring around the shank. I'm having a massive brain fart right now and can't recall which side it's on, and I'm not walking back out to the parking lot with the temp at 100* and the humidity almost that high. If no one else answers, I'll look after I get home this evening.

The Idle screw is on the passenger side of the carb or looking from the passenger side of the truck over the valve cover at the base of the carb there it sits.

One good idle mixture adjustment method is to use a vacuum gauge, attached to a source of full manifold vacuum like the windshield wiper connection. With the idle speed set close to correct, richen the mixture screw (counterclockwise), until the best vacuum reading is achieved. If necessary, slow the idle down, and recheck the vacuum. Once it's max, richen the mixture screw about 1/8 turn, to give a good transition from idle to midrange speed. This method works well on early engines, before emission controls were used. Try it on a late-70's or newer engine, and you'll be WAY over-rich!
Jerry

thanks for the answers!

the idle screw being over on the passenger side explains me not seeing it all these years, my m.o. is to just lean on the drivers side fender and slowly shake my head.