Just fitted electronic distributor

[James k]

Hi,
I fitted a new simonbbc 45d electronic distributor to my Traveller this morning. It took quite a long time as the distributor securing bolts were very difficult to get to, then I made the mistake of getting the timing 180 degrees out! I set the timing by turning the distributor to get the smoothest idle and it now idles MUCH more smoothly. It now sounds like a car instead of an old bus! It also starts much more easily.

I took it for a long country drive today and although the engine is sounding smoother it doesn't seem to pull uphill or accelerate as well as it should. Is this because the timing needs advancing more? It also seemed to have periods of accelerating very slowly and then suddenly speeding up loads.

I'm intending to set the timing again tomorrow by advancing it bit by bit until it pinks uphill and then backing it off. Does it sound like this is all I need to do?

Thanks,
James

[bmcecosse]

Well done - yes little by little till it pinks, then back off slightly so it's not quite pinking. Make sure the vacuum advance is connected.

[James k]

I've just spent the past hour or so adjusting the timing, driving it, adjusting the timing again etc. and I think I now have it about right. I'll have to test drive it around some more places to see if it performs as well as the old points distributor but at the moment it seems to be okay. Not the huge increase in power I was hoping for but it is idling more smoothly and starting more easily. Another thing is that I can no longer smell petrol when the car working hard which I could before. Does this sound right?

[bmcecosse]

It was never going to increase power - it's just there for reliability!

[James k]

That's what I suspected! Although reading people write about how it had really increased their power made me hope that it might. It is running better overall though, smoother idling, quicker pickup, no petrol smell (strangely). I imagine this is mainly due to it being a new distributor though with a working vacuum advance and without the gunk in the advance weights rather than it being electronic.

[bmcecosse]

Absolutely - it should save you worrying about the ignition for years to come !

[James k]

I just went on another quick drive and decided to go up a long hill that I often drive up. Before, I could get up easily in third at 30mph with some power to spare. I could shift into top and it would just about manage but the engine would complain. Today I could just about manage to get up in third after a lot of acceleration in second and some very slow acceleration in third :/ I tried shifting up to top to test it but it just wouldn't pull at all. What could the problem be? I didn't think my ability to climb hills would actually get worse with a new distributor

[bmcecosse]

Are you sure you have optimised the timing ? Could well be other problems have crept in of course while you struggled with the old dizzy...... What colour are the plugs after a good run - NO idling. ??

[James k]

Unless the electronic distributors significantly reduce your power somehow (which I hope they don't), I must have the timing wrong. I thought I'd got it about right yesterday when I tried it but it's having so much trouble getting uphill Hills that I could previously whip up in third at 30 I now have to crawl up in second. It's terrible publicity for the Minor! The idling is not sounding perfect either. It's got a sort of low rumble and you can occasionally feel it sort of 'jump'.

What do you mean about another problem creeping in Roy? Do you mean I might have knocked something out of adjustment when I changed the distributor over?

[James k]

It's also running on quite a bit

[The vast minority]

The problem with modern electronics is that they are made in an LCC and are of very questionable quality. (In my opinion)
The absolute best thing for the car is an old contact breaker and condenser ignition system. (Fact)
Controversial I dare say, but I'm totally behind that statement.
I've got many many thousands of pounds worth of history with my car, it has had at least 2 electronic ignition systems in its time, both were removed to be replaced with the original kit due to running issues. One in The 80s and one in the 90's.
The quality can only have gone down hill since.

I'd send it back and put a proper distributor back on.

Just sayin

[bmcecosse]

Until the recent Accu/Powerspark distributors appeared - I would have agreed (and often stated that points were best) with the above. However many satisfied customers are using these new dizzies with great success, and they appear to be very reliable and solve the poor quality condenser/points problems... It's not by any means a 'fact' that points are best......... So I can only say the timing here must be wrong - running on indicates retarded ignition. It's always possible of course that there a problem with this particular dizzy - perhaps the mechanical advance is not working correctly.... When you twist the rotor arm - does it spring back ok ?? But perhaps the engine has deteriorated - valve gaps correct ? Compressions all good? Air filter clean ? Carb piston rising/ falling easily - and engine oil in the damper chamber ?

[James k]

The problem I'm having is that I can twist the distributor by quite a lot before I notice any difference so I'm not sure exactly where it should be set. I haven't checked the valve gaps and I don't have a compression tester yet but it was running really well before I fitted the new distributor so surely it must be to do with that.

[The vast minority]

The problem I'm having is that I can twist the distributor by quite a lot before I notice any difference so I'm not sure exactly where it should be set. I haven't checked the valve gaps and I don't have a compression tester yet but it was running really well before I fitted the new distributor so surely it must be to do with that.

If it was running really well, why change? This is exactly my "POINT" if you will forgive the pun.

[James k]

If it was running really well, why change? This is exactly my "POINT" if you will forgive the pun.

I changed it because, although the car was running well and pulling well uphill, it did have trouble starting and I'd had two condensers fail since I got the car. I wanted to eliminate the condenser problem and difficult starting and possibly get some improved performance.

[bmcecosse]

Excellent reasons.... and of course you are getting all new parts in there. Just turn it gently - clockwise to get the 'best' idle on a hot engine. Then road test. Have you had it 'pinking' yet ? Of course - that's too far, but once you hear that - you just turn back a tiny amount till it's not quite pinking. Keep turning it till you hear the pinking (and then back..) - even if that is not quite the 'best' idle. It's always going to be a compromise of sorts.. Does the rotor spring back ok ? And you are sure the vacuum is connected - and the tube not blocked..... ?

[James k]

I drove it this morning and it was pinking occasionally uphill. I then retarded the timing by a tiny amount (pretty much the smallest amount I could turn the distributor). It's now stopped pinking but sounds as if it's on the brink of it so I imagine this is the best I can get it. It is accelerating very quickly on the flat but still doesn't have as much pull up hill as I'd expect I wonder if I could tweak the mixture. I'm off to Germany tomorrow for another month so I won't be able to make any more adjustments/ do any more tests until I get back. I'll try and get hold of a compression tester when I do.

[James k]

I just took the plugs out and they're sooty black so I presume the mixture is rich. Could a rich mixture cause a loss of power? I find it a bit strange though because when I checked the plugs before, they were the correct biscuit colour. I also noticed that when I remove the oil filler cap, the revs drop significantly. I seem to remember being told that this is normal but I wasn't entirely sure.

[bmcecosse]

Well indeed black = rich....but that would give power, just terrible economy - and bore wash...... Increased revs with cap off shows it's sucking the fumes well!! Of course that may be the cause of the black plugs....burning fume... Is the air cleaner 'clean' ? Try a run without the paper element in place.

[James k]

The revs decrease when I take the cap off. Should it be doing the opposite. It is sucking through the oil cap though, I put my hand over it to check. I suspect that my exhaust clamp may be leaking a little as there is some black residue around it. Since the air cleaner is in the 'winter' position, this would presumably get sucked up into it and make the filter dirty. Could a dirty air filter lead to a noticeable drop in engine power? I won't be able to do any more checks until after four weeks unfortunately.