Failing Rotor Arms

[ray]

The last two times I have taken my 1961 948cc 1000 out it has lost power after about 5 miles and then stopped altogether. Both times after towing to local trustworthy garage a hairline crack in rotor arm has been diagnosed. Car drove home OK (about 1 mile up a steep hill) after each new arm fitted. Garage is sure second failure is a co-incidence. I am suspicious there may be something else causing rotor arm failure that has not been spotted and have lost confidence to take car out again. I have had car for 30 years and no previous rotor arm failure. ADVICE AND COMMENTS WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

[Cam]

The quality of replacement parts has gone downhill in the last few years, so maybe you were just unlucky and had 2 duff ones. I can't see that anything inside the dizzy cap would cause a crack without it stopping the engine completely. Co-incidences do happen sometimes.

[Chris Morley]

There's only two items which can be at fault here (dizzy cap or rotor arm) and both are cheap disposable items. I must confess I've never chucked old ones away however as they can potentially last for years. Like Cam I think you've just been unlucky. I seem to recall a spate of posts about condensor failures a year or two ago and I think all these problems are due to poor quality. I've always obtained these service parts from ESM and I've yet to have a problem. However I still carry a spare of everything.

[ray]

Thanks Cam and Chris for your advice. "LYD" and I will venture out again with cap and rotor arm in car.

[an_avenger]

I am like chris, I carry spares with me too........interesting story to tell! The police (hiss!) are quite notorious around our area for being not so lenient when it comes to blown bulbs. This little Hitler pulled me over when a side light failed (yes a side light.....considering I rarely use sidelights I thought it was a bit harsh. He continued to check the car and just as he pulls out his pink pad to fine me...I beat him to it by pulling out a replacement bulb! Talk about smug!!!!!

[Kevin]

The police (hiss!) are quite notorious around our area for being not so lenient when it comes to blown bulbs

Good lord thats not very helpful especially if your headlamps are still ok, last time that happened to me at a set of lights they pulled along side me and said one of your rear bulbs has gone can you sort it, I said thanks and off they went, glad there not like your local police here.

[Willie]

Ray lost your confidence? surely all you have to do is make
sure you are carrying a spare rotor arm(and points and
condensor) to restore your confidence. If you have owned a
Minor for that number of years you must be capable of
changing a rotor arm by now???

[Gareth]

Would this be a good time to say I spent a WHOLE DAY trying to change one poxy brake cylinder?

[Chris Morley]

Let me guess - you couldn't undo the seized nut at the end of the brake pipe? I also replaced a (rear) cylinder last week. This took me almost two hours because the nut rounded off and I had to apply a lot of heat before it eventually freed up. In an ideal world the design would be changed to give a much bigger and thicker head so that much more force could be applied without rounding off the nut.

Having said that Gareth, having done this several times I could change a cylinder now in 20-30 minutes if everything freed up - I find bleed ing the brakes takes more time. I'm sure you'll find it's a lot easier next time.

[Gareth]

Ble eding the brakes wasn't too bad, just the seized nut! There again, I managed to con an assistant into pumping the pedal for me. Heigh ho. It's all part of the fun, isn't it?

[57traveller]

I've usually been fortunate enough, when using the correct size brake union spanner, to have released the most stubborn connection. But after a shout of joy when the thing has released only to find that the nut has seized on the pipe and the whole thing has turned leaving a wonderful symmetrical rope like twist in the pipe . Then the whole pipe has to be renewed.