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It is back only this time it is across all cylinders!!!! To catch you up - B20 of unknown year with an extensive rebuild by yours truly; B20E head installed; using a Bosch mechanical advance distributor, w/ new cap; Pertronix I; installing a new coil this afternoon; rebuilding another distributor with points. Runs like crap, as you can imagine. If the coil does not solve the problem, I will move on to the distributor. Would you suggest a newer vacuum advance distributor? I am beginning to wonder about this whole set up...
Merry Christmas,
p.s. Just ran into some pictures of the "Walrus" and I next to my 1800s - miss that ole boy...
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Seems like you may have solved the problem, if not I suggest starting over using all new equipment, or at least all new components. That may seem a bit extreme but as I recall this has been going on quite a while. So points condenser, rotor, cap, wires, coil and plugs. Plus that rebuilt distributor you mentioned. If it still persists in giving you the same trouble it must be something more fundamental. I hope not.
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Hairy,
The Amazon is finally running as it was meant to be!!! I checked the spark plugs last night and found nice, brownish ash. Derek(UK) suggested retarding timing just a bit for the pinking and that seems to have worked. Who knows what it was for certain? I put in new plugs, new coil, went back to points and condesor in the refurbished distributor. I can't say it was the Pertronix, but... I think I am sticking with the simple stuff for a while, but I would like to try an Accuspark at some point. She started right up this morning at -5 degrees F, so I must be doing something right, finally!!
Thanks and Happy New Year,
Kent
--
Too much iron, too little time
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So, I pulled the distributor last night, got the base loose, cleaned everything up and stuck it back in the engine, put in new plugs. I "tuned" the engine by ear for timing, then used the timing light. I was very close to 18 degrees and left it there. Drove the car a couple of miles out of town and back and checked the plugs. I think I might be just a tad lean, but in this weather one can expect that -10 degrees wind chill. It started right up this morning with the temps in single digits, so I am thinking I might be really close. It did pink a bit on the road last night so I might advance things just a bit and/or turn the mixture one more flat...
Merry Christmas
Kent
--
Too much iron, too little time
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Here we go again!!! Car running nicely until suddenly it died - quick and silently. H-m-m-m! That sounded electrical. When I was assembling that distributor I remembered that the post to which the low tension wire hooks had a very poor rubber insulator on it. Sure enough, using an ohmmeter I found that it was shorting to the distributor case. I found some 1/4 inch O-rings; pulled the distributor and went to work. I used some shrinking electrical insulation directly on the 4mm bolt, then put an o-ring on the inside and outside of the distributor case of the bolt, also. Distributor back into the car, and it is again running nicely. I will have to do just a bit of tuning, both timing and SUs (thanks Derek), but I think I might have a running Amazon!!! I hope so, wind chill right now is around -30F.!!!! I had to move the poor ol' girl outside so my wife could have her spot in the garage. These darned wives!!!!
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!!!
Kent
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If it's pinking you need to retard it, not advance it. Remember that 1º rotation at the distributor changes 2º of timing so the adjustment is sensitive if you're just doing it by eye. Retard is anti clockwise. Depending on how close the mixture setting is now, not a bad idea to drop the jet a flat or two for the cold part of winter. Enjoy.
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Derek,
Thanks a lot!! Too cold outside at this point to do anything, even in an attached garage. I can't let the car run inside... Something like minus 25 degrees F. windchill today!!
Merry Christmas!
kent
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Thanks for the quick come-back!! Yup, I started at the beginning. Actually took the timing cover off to make certain the marks were correct. From there thought I had gone through everything, but I have not changed the rotor. I did change the cap once to a known good one, but one never knows. I am still going to rebuild that extra distributor and slap it in if this keeps up. I have heard bad things about Pertronix II, but never anything about the originals. I will try to keep you abreast...
Thanks again and Merry Christmas,
Kent
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Well, things are looking up!! I replaced the distributor with the Pertronix in it with one that I had refurbished with points n condenser. Other than not being fully timed it is running fairly nicely. When I refurbished the distributor, I neglected to make certain it would turn in its base so timing the engine is a problem. I may have to take the distributor off to solve that problem but that is just a pain not so much of a problem...
Kristmasi Njema!!
Kent
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posted by
someone claiming to be patrick of montreal
on
Sun Dec 15 14:30 CST 2013 [ RELATED]
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buy a new best quality you can get cap and rotor (hard to find high quality in C and R) at worst you will have a spare C and R at best found your problem. I have had many poor quality C and R mostly Caps really. Need a known good one. As you are having trouble dialling this one in maybe start with basics make sure your timing is decent etc...I'm concerned that people get on board with carb and needle talk when you are having spark issues, keep it simple...one step at a time and all that It is odd that you are having this much trouble getting this up and running....B18 is a prettty simple beast....check your grounds as this can also create weird problems and rust will cause poor/no ground.
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Friend just had the same problem with his pentronix in a MGB is was the dist rotor, it was shorting out to the dist, shaft
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