wear to distributor

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Mona
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wear to distributor

Post by Mona »

Hi All,

I'm in the process of replacing my distributor, but it isn't gripping the drive properly. It is fine without the clamp, but when the clamp is on the rotor arm can be spun either direction.

The bottom of the old distributor has some steps/marks in where it looks like it has been skipping

Image

Any ideas what is causing this and what I can do to fix it?

Thanks
Pete
 
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davidoft1
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Re: wear to distributor

Post by davidoft1 »

Is it a genuine distributor?

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Re: wear to distributor

Post by Stesaw »

Make sure that the drive in the engine has the spring in the middle of it for one. You might find that undoing the clamp a bit might help seat the dissy, when putting the dissy in put a bit of oil on the O ring and the shaft (oh errr missus). Line the notches up then slowly push the dissy down, maybe wiggle the arm til you feel it connect with the grooves then push it til the clamp is under the main body.

Others might have a simpler explained way, i've been out in the sun all day working so Im fried :shock:
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Aidan
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Re: wear to distributor

Post by Aidan »

could be the 2 thrust shims for the drive are missing, they go under the drive and if the drive has been pulled out (say because it was 180' out and previous owner wanted to correct that) and the person didn't know about them it is easy to displace one or both of them and they drop into the engine. When fitting them you use a bit of grease to hold them in place and slide them down the shaft of a screwdriver to place them and be careful fitting the drive. Without the thrust shims the case can be worn by the drive (which is also a possibility).
It may also be that the clamp is pulling the disi up when you clamp it up because it is bent out of shape a bit, they can easily get bent by heavy handed peeps trying to pull the disi, especially as the fixed end can catch on the threads of the stud
Your old disi looks like it has seen some life and there was grit/dirt in the bore when it was fitted.
I take it the seal was hard and cracked ?

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sarran1955
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Re: wear to distributor

Post by sarran1955 »

Hello,

Have you got the 'D' rubber washer and the spring between the camshaft drive and the distributor.. :?:

This may help:



Cordialement,

:ok

 

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bigherb
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Re: wear to distributor

Post by bigherb »

Also check you still have the fibre washer on the distributor shaft, they break up and come out.

Image
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Mona
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Re: wear to distributor

Post by Mona »

davidoft1 wrote: 21 Jun 2022, 18:46 Is it a genuine distributor?

The original one shown in the photo is, the replacement is a Powerspark.
1982 1.6 air cooled high top

Mona
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Re: wear to distributor

Post by Mona »

Aidan wrote: 21 Jun 2022, 18:55 could be the 2 thrust shims for the drive are missing, they go under the drive and if the drive has been pulled out (say because it was 180' out and previous owner wanted to correct that) and the person didn't know about them it is easy to displace one or both of them and they drop into the engine. When fitting them you use a bit of grease to hold them in place and slide them down the shaft of a screwdriver to place them and be careful fitting the drive. Without the thrust shims the case can be worn by the drive (which is also a possibility).
It may also be that the clamp is pulling the disi up when you clamp it up because it is bent out of shape a bit, they can easily get bent by heavy handed peeps trying to pull the disi, especially as the fixed end can catch on the threads of the stud
Your old disi looks like it has seen some life and there was grit/dirt in the bore when it was fitted.
I take it the seal was hard and cracked ?
Thanks

I haven't taken the drive out, but the shims could be the problem. I've read to remove the drive, use a pencil or dowel, which we will do next.

Will also check to see if the clamp is bent.

Which seal do you mean? The one betwteen the shims?
 
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Mona
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Re: wear to distributor

Post by Mona »

bigherb wrote: 21 Jun 2022, 20:33 Also check you still have the fibre washer on the distributor shaft, they break up and come out.

Image

Thanks, removing the drive to have a look is the next job. I hadn't read about the washer before so that is really useful to know.
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Mona
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Re: wear to distributor

Post by Mona »

sarran1955 wrote: 21 Jun 2022, 18:59 Hello,

Have you got the 'D' rubber washer and the spring between the camshaft drive and the distributor.. :?:

This may help:



Cordialement,

:ok


Hi, do you mean the one that goes on the dizzy shaft? Yes, I ordered one of those as per your video.
 
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Mona
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Re: wear to distributor

Post by Mona »

Looking at the dizzys side-by-side, there are a couple of differences (powerspark on left, Bosch on right)

Image

Image

The length, shoulder and 'stop' are different.

I thought it would just drop in.
 
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ajsimmo
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Re: wear to distributor

Post by ajsimmo »

I have just removed the dizzy drive on a DJ and it had FOUR shims under it. I guess he had the same problem.
I have been known to fit a third, so that would be my advice to fix your issue.

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Mona
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Re: wear to distributor

Post by Mona »

ajsimmo wrote: 23 Jun 2022, 20:38 I have just removed the dizzy drive on a DJ and it had FOUR Image shims under it. I guess he had the same problem.
I have been known to fit a third, so that would be my advice to fix your issue.

Sent from my moto g(30) using Tapatalk

Thanks, I am going to remove the drive next. I tried poking a pencil in to lift it out, but wasn't confident enough to push it in enough and it didn't move. Any advice on the best way to remove it?

The fibre washer mentioned earlier looks about the right amount of distance missing - did the one with 4 shims have a fibre washer as well?

Cheers
Pete
1982 1.6 air cooled high top

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Aidan
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Re: wear to distributor

Post by Aidan »

good strong magnet pick up tool can work, the ones that lift 16lb in theory 
16LB EXTENDING MAGNETIC PICK UP TOOL MAGNET TELESCOPIC 30" 750mm | eBay
 

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Re: wear to distributor

Post by ajsimmo »

M8 threaded bar ground to a taper works for me. Remove spring (obvs) then tap it in gently to wedge it. A squirt of oil before working it up and down will usually shift it.

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