Morris Minor Owners Club

if you have the knurled nut turned fully one way then you will never move the baseplate with any amount of vaccum as you will be tying to pull against the adjuster if you see what i mean.
set the knurled nut the other way then try sucking on the vac pipe

looking at your 11.06am post you need to unscrew the knurled nut, then try it

Hi Steve, the nut, you mean the micrometer adjuster nut? or the lower one to the spring in this picture.[frame][/frame]

David
The adjuster nut, which fits on the top threaded main shaft, going into the vacuum.
As Steve/ drivewaher have stated from your picture I think you have "fully tightened " the adjuster so that it has nowhere to go.
Re install the vacuum, hooking the spring back over the peg ( you'll need a small screwdriver or hook ) and centralise the adjuster.
Then see if the suck test works the baseplate.
Do your timing by moving the distributer by hand ( clamp loosened off and when you have a steady tickover, tighten the clamp.Final adjustments, either way by the micrometer nut after a road test.
Bob

I dont know how electronic ignition is set up on older engines with no computers and crank sensors etc so I can't comment untill I research it, which I will.

But this is where the points would come into play in setting up the static timing. Just alighn the marks on the crank pulley on No1 cyl compression stroke and then slowly rotate the distributor clockwise untill the points just open when rotor arm is aimed at No 1 cyl. The opening of points cn be checked with a bulb in series with them or a meter. This would give you a definite setting for an initial start up

thanks you Steve and Bob, Ive got a clearer picture now on how to proceed, the nut unscrewed part way and the splined stud holding the main shaft to the Vacuum parted, it seems it was only held on by the last few millimetres of the stud, so tight was the nut it wound out the shaft. Back in now, as shown here. As you both suggest I'll wind the nut on central along the threaded portion and adjust my timing by moving the whole Dizzy around.[frame][/frame]

the spring bypasses the stud now, this just shows my adjustment was way off.[frame][/frame]
so, of the left and right nuts shown here, which one allows slight rotation adjustment of the dizzy body without loosing it's position.[frame][/frame]

and here's the reason for my lack of Vacuum advance, with the nut wound out to halfway, even with the spring detached from the stud, sucking hard on that pipe till my face turns blue, there is still no movement on that spring. There has to be a problem inside the vacuum unit itself, so I'm stuck until a new one arrives from ESM part DST110. But I'm at the bottom of the problem, I know where I am and where I'm heading.[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

on second thoughts, maybe not, the whole baseplate is jammed, when I apply finger pressure to the spring stud of the vacuum advance there is no movement, so maybe I do need a new dizzy afterall.

David
Once you get the replacement vacuum , it is the " bolt and nut " on the right of your picture that pinches up the base of the distributer.
The other two bolts ( no nuts ), going into engine block, are there to hold the clamp in the right position, i.e nothing to do with holding the distributer for timing purposes.
Just a light coat of oil, smear on with a finger ( gloved ) on the shaft, that disappears into the block, will allow the distributer to rotate a little easier.
Bob

thanks Bob, I just tried to move the spring stud by hand and nothings moving, the vacuum advance couldn't move it, no wonder if I can't move it manually.

David - Try this if you fancy stripping down your dizzy - it might save you a bit of money too http://simonlacey.com/pages_new/content ... ebuild.htm

Good luck ;-)

Did you remove the points before trying to move the plate?
I think that if the points screw has been replaced with one that is too long plate movement is lost.

thanks Bruce and Marky, very helpful information, and the screw length could be an issue.as soon as I had removed the only retaining screw that holds the electronics conversion module in place, I had free plate movement again.
[frame][/frame]
carefully replacing the screw not wishing to do it up too tight and jamb it up again, but enough to hold it in place with the vibration from the engine.[frame][/frame]
there's one missing, I may have to cut a screw down to fit[frame][/frame]

the new vacuum unit and a proper spring for the accelerator, I'm ready to re-assemble[frame][/frame]

I was wrong about the 2nd screw in the plate, I got that idea from the Acuspark you tube video on converting over to electronic ignition, great instructional video but he was using a later model Lucus distributer. Tested the vacuum advance and saw the plate move, progress. Now to start the engine. The central spindal hasn't been disturbed so I've not changed the timing too much, Follow Bobs advice, untighten the pinch bolt and move the whole unit a degree at a time till I'm in tune.[frame][/frame]

The engine is running nice and smoothly on tick over now. To tune it better for the high revolutions I need to let the engine get up to working temperature, but first, the re-charging problem. Since the wiper motor caused a electrical short circuit the red ignition warning light has been on since I disconnected the wiper and replaced the fuses. That's the next task to get to the bottom of...hope the short hasn't blown the whole Alternator's Circuit

so with the motor running I'm getting a reading of 12.46v from the battery, should be up to 13v as it was before the short circuit from the wiper motor failure.[frame][/frame]

The ignition warning light stays on, now in my Haynes classic electrical manual it suggests that the constant red light signifies a fault with the rectifier, a cheaper part to replace than the whole alternator, if I can get one and replace it into the alternator that is. I think mine might be a sealed unit, I'll have to check[frame][/frame]

hope the short hasn't blown the whole Alternator's Circuit

This is the Achilles heal of alternators, like most electronic stuff they die after a short or reverse polarity.
I expect you need a diode pack for it.

yes, a diode pack, thanks marky, Bob Suggested a local firm in Worthing he knows about, they've been in business since 1945, so I'll look them up and see if they can help me out.[frame][/frame]

RW Wilson, the local motor rewinding repair company local to me "don't touch auto parts". Why, maybe it's the profusion of types, but it has to be a lucrative market, they know what they're doing, they've been around since 1945, thanks for the heads up on them Bob, may have been a cheaper alternative. So wrongly, I bit the bullet drove to ESM and paid £45 for a new one, fitted it, still no juice going into the battery, oh dear.[frame][/frame]