MG Sports Cars

engine swaps and other performance upgrades, plus "factory" and Costello V8s

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britcars
Phil Ossinger
New Brunswick, Canada
(346 posts)

Registered:
02/02/2009 07:58PM

Main British Car:
1977 MGB Roadster, Rover 3.5 ADVENTURE BEFORE DEMENTIA!

authors avatar
Unexpected Distributior Issue
Posted by: britcars
Date: July 03, 2012 06:59AM

My wife and I were in the middle of a nice holiday week-end away at an upscale resort (I'm in Canada, eh!) in the MGB. Lots going on, parade, fireworks, big interenational bike rally. Driving slowly down the main street yesterday afternoon and the car quit, as if someone turned the key off. Mrs. Phil was not impressed.....she had to push (I helped).
My first thought was the Pertronix module installed by Jeff Schlemmer when he rebuilt the distributor. Checked for spark at the coil - lots of it. Lifted the distributor cap - the inside of the cap, rotor and the 8 electrodes were covered in what I think was carbon dust. Cleaned it up with a rag and the car fired right up.
Got me home, a 100 mile drive, without a hitch. The car only has 3500 miles on it. Anyone else have this problem?


ex-tyke
Graham Creswick
Chatham, Ontario, Canada
(1165 posts)

Registered:
10/25/2007 11:17AM

Main British Car:
1976 MGB Ford 302

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Re: Unexpected Distributior Issue
Posted by: ex-tyke
Date: July 03, 2012 08:28AM

If it is carbon, where's it coming from?...what is wearing down?....eg. any signs of rotor hitting distributor cap?....should be some evidence of the source of the dust


britcars
Phil Ossinger
New Brunswick, Canada
(346 posts)

Registered:
02/02/2009 07:58PM

Main British Car:
1977 MGB Roadster, Rover 3.5 ADVENTURE BEFORE DEMENTIA!

authors avatar
Re: Unexpected Distributior Issue
Posted by: britcars
Date: July 03, 2012 08:18PM

Graham:
The top side of the brass business end of the rotor appears to be hitting one or two of the metal contactors in the distributor cap. Lots of dust on the rotor's centre contactor and the top of the rotor where it contacts the electrode (?) in the centre of the cap. I'm going to take a closer look when I get home. On the road for work for a couple of days.


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