Hmmm.
When I went to look at the dizzy I noticed that one of the 10mm bolts holding it to the block was shorn off
and when I tested the other one, it went as well. So, now my dizzy is held on by a single similar-sized one that I found in my garage. Does anyone know the specs of the bolts that hold the dizzy to the block, and where I might be able to get a couple?
Also, upon taking the dizzy cap off, Greenbird, I couldn't see an 8mm bolt (to get in at the rotor). I have a suspicion that it's an aftermarket replacement dizzy - would this change what to do? Anyway, I didn't manage to open the dizzy up but when I put the replacement 10mm bolt in to secure it to the block, I experimented with the dizzy at varying degrees to see if that would change anything. At one extreme there was audible pinging (marbles-in-a-can sound), and at the other extreme the car felt sluggish.
When driving the car at "the other extreme" (timing retarded, I would assume), it was misfiring and dying as I drove. When driving the car at the first "extreme" (timing advanced) it didn't misfire or stall or die, but it was pinging under any reasonable load. SO, I experimented some more and I think I've found a happy medium, where it doesn't ping (audibly, at least) and it doesn't sputter and stall. If i recall correctly, the dizzy is twisted slightly more to the 'advanced' side than it was this morning (when I first looked at it, and noticed it still misfiring when i drove). Is this a safe thing to do? It has a diet of exclusively 95 octane. Should I maybe take it to an auto-elec/mechanic who can set the timing properly?