Distributor Woes-be-Gone

[HanksB3B]

One of those hurry up fixes that worked so good for a while I forgot all about it.  Just one little faulty part can make a tow truck appear.  After the "Factory Brake Job" that kept me busy up until the day Davin arrived (in hopes of picking him up at LAX in a Pilothouse) This is what happened during Davin and my extended brake test run. 

 

You can't tell by looking at it but a multimeter showed that there was a short between the Terminal Stud and the body of the distributor. That grounded the spark at the distributor and provided no spark to the plugs.

 

The half baked done in a hurry solution that lasted from 1980 to 2014. One of those things I never got back to that finally bit me (and Davin) some 34 years later. It was good that I had Police Protection because the tow company sent a Grab-n-Go tow truck not the flatbed i'd requested (my New York temper got the best of me) and I almost got into a fight with the tow truck driver. (Thanks for having my back Davin)

 

The broken Ceramic Insulator (1st part lower row)  The new Ace Hdw Nylon Shoulder Washer (3rd part uper row)

 

As repaired. Fired right up, fist stomp of the foot pedal. .

 

I need a Happy Meal,

 

Hank 

 

P.S.

 

Judging by this photo, do you think it is evident that Davin is one of Australia's finest ?

He's even got red and blue lights flashing from his baseball cap even on vacation ! 

 

Hank 

Edited April 17, 2014 by HanksB3B

[Desotodav]

It's so good to hear that your issue ended up being an easy fix Hank. It is a pity that we couldn't have sorted it a couple of days ago and we could have been cruising the streets of Malibu in the old green truck.

I had such a great time over there in USA over the past couple of weeks that anything involving work was the last thing on my mind. I guess that I'll have to start thinking about it again in the near future as my vacation time finishes in around 3 weeks time. It was great to be away, but it is also good to be home again!

[Jeff Balazs]

Hey Hank;

It is those little things that always seem to bite when you are least expecting it. Glad you found it without too much fuss.

 

Thanks again for stopping by last week. Sure enjoyed the pilothouse gab with you and Davin. He's OK for a furriner.

Sounded like you guy's really did it up right.

 

Jeff

[RodFru2u]

Hey Hank, Glad it was an easy fix.May all your repairs be as simple .  Rod

[Jeff Balazs]

Since you and Davin visited on Saturday I have removed all this on my truck with the Pertronix kit.

Very nice fit and it virtually eliminates the possibility of this ever happening the way it installs. Fired right up and seems to provide a more stable idle when cold. Will report back when I have had some time to field test. First blush though...I like it a lot......and no points to wear, get dirty or burn means it should run very consistent.

 

Jeff

[pflaming]

". . . get dirty or burn . . ."  Don't say things like that!!!!  

[_shel_ny]

PO of this distributor took a different approach to the repair of the stud.

[HanksB3B]

That should be the poster child for what not to do to your distributor. (a good road fix though, would have got us home). At least it is more visible than my Mickey Mouse job.

 

  Hank 

[Jeff Balazs]

Hank;

Was there a phenolic sleeve that fit in the hole through the side of the distributor on yours? Seems to me that this sleeve is critical.......if it were to go missing it would be hard to keep things isolated.

 

Paul......I will try to select my wording more carefully in the future. Believe me I wasn't trying to remind you of any unpleasantness.

Some problems with points sets are often referred to as burnt or burning. Shows up as discoloration and often metal transfer or pitting. Some of the replacement sets available now are probably not as well made as the originals and seem more likely to experience this sort of burning. When this occurs it can have a negative effect on the gap and cause your engine to run poorly or in extreme cases not at all. As I have been going through the sorting out process on my truck I have been keeping an eye on little stuff like this. I wasn't happy with the way my points were looking after only a short time running so I opted to eliminate them altogether by installing the Pertronix module into my existing distributor. It has no moving parts and there are no adjustments once it is installed correctly.

 

Jeff

[HanksB3B]

Jeff,

 

I have a feeling that the original insulator may have been ceramic. While it must have been an ok choice back-in-the-day when the only other option was bake-lite plastic, the nature of ceramic makes it prone to fatigue and cracking. The nylon shoulder washer inserted from the outside, then trimmed flush and then a nylon washer on the inside stanped metal distributor base plate makes a complete nylon sandwich and it works well. The pertronix module is a desired improvement for sure and was a good move on your part. Where did you get yours and how $.

 

Hank 

[Jeff Balazs]

Hank;

Maybe they were ceramic? Mine was not. It looked like phenolic tubing. I am sure the nylon will work fine.

 

We will see if the Pertronix module holds up. Too soon to say anything other than ...so far...so good. Looks like we are going to have a really warm summer. That should be a good reliability test. If you do go in this direction Summit will probably be the least expensive. Should be around $180 for a 6V positive ground module and matching coil.

 

Jeff