By 1973, the Ford Motor Company had been making cars for 70 years. During this time, the company added many safety and convenience features but still used the same breaker-point ignition that it installed in the Model A in the late 1920s. By the late 1970s, Ford converted its engines to electronic ignition. Owners of 1973 Fords still had to regularly replace and adjust the breaker points in the distributor to keep the engine in tune.
The breaker-point gap should be checked with a feeler gauge when the points are open. Ford points were adjusted by loosening the mounting screw at the base, then sliding the base in the direction needed to get the correct reading on the feeler gauge.
The standard 98 cubic-inch displacement inline four-cylinder engine used in the Pinto had a breaker-point gap of .025 inch. The optional 122 cubic-inch engine in Pintos also had a point gap specification of .025 inch.
The 2600cc V-6 engine used in the Capri had a point gap of .025 inch. The 200 and 250 cubic-inch displacement engines used as standard equipment in Mustangs and Mavericks had a point gap of .027 inch.
All Ford V-8 engines that used single points had a breaker-point gap of .017 inch. This included the 302, 351 Windsor, 351 Cleveland with a two- or four-barrel carburetor and the 400, 429, 460 and 460 Police Special. Some 351 Cleveland engines with a four-barrel carburetor came equipped with a dual-point setup requiring a point gap of .020 inch.
The 200 cubic-inch, six-cylinder engine used as standard equipment in the Ford Bronco required a point gap of .027 inch. The 240 and 300 cubic-inch, six-cylinder engines used in F-Series trucks and E-Series vans had a breaker-point gap of .027 inch. All eight-cylinder truck engines, including the 302, 360 and 390 cubic inch V-8s, required a point gap of .017 inch.
