Ignition: 232 vacuum advance

[pro tc]

Hello anyone know the part number for the vacuum advance on a delco distributor 232 53 Commander engine?
Studebaker international cant seem to help me.
Thanks
Barry

[rockne10]

Spark modifier; Studebaker #530673.
It's on page 136 of your factory Chassis Parts Catalog, which Is available from SI and others.

May also be Echlin #VC-395

[pro tc]

Thank you rockne10
Barry

[wdills]

I just went through the process of finding one for my 54. Stephen Allan's has NOS ones. Dave T-Bow has fresh rebuilt units.

[pro tc]

should the advance be hooked to manifold or ported vacuum.
Thanks

[pro tc]

picture of engine

[StudeRich]

Never from the Manifold, but Ported or not depends on your Carb. port height on the Carb. base.

[pro tc]

What i need to know is should it be hooked to manifold vacuum or ported vacuum.
thanks again

[Ross]

Ported. Can't see what the carbs are in the photo but from the apparent vintage they will surely have a vac port mounted down low that will give no vac at idle and start letting air in just above idle.

[bensherb]

"Plugging your vacuum advance into a direct source will allow it to engage at idle, which is good for a number of reasons. Much like cruise conditions, engines run leaner at idle than they do under load , this means the mixture burns slower and needs an earlier spark to optimize the burn. Ensuring that the mixture has a complete burn before leaving through the exhaust port also helps the engine to run cooler at idle. All carbureted cars were set up with direct vacuum to the distributor before more stringent emissions requirements reared their heads.
Ported vacuum sources are a result of emissions laws and manufacturers doing whatever they could to get big V8 engines to pass smog before the incorporation of the catalytic converter. The idea was that by using little to no spark advance at idle, the exhaust gas would leave the cylinder still-on-fire and help maximize the efficiency of antiquated air injection systems. Engines from this era often ran very, very hot, were prone to warped exhaust valves, cracked cylinder heads and all other manner of issues. Using a ported spark advance will still allow the vacuum advance to do its job at steady cruising, but all of the benefits of idle cooling will be lost."
Super Chevy Magazine

I've run it unported directly from manifold for decades.