I sent my distributor to Rock Auto to have the Hall sensor replaced and cleaned/lubed. I got it back and while checking it out I noticed that the shaft no longer turns left/right with the slight resistance that it had prior to sending it to RA. I assumed the resistance was caused by the advance springs.

Question: Does the 1985 dizzy have these springs and if so is it a bad sign that the shaft no longer seems to have the resistance that I assumed was due to said springs.

The car won't start and I think it's due to the wire harness - my next project.

Thanks for any input!

Dukester
'85 244 M46

Not sure if springs are present on your distributor, but if there they should have nothing to do with the turning resistance of the shaft.

Based on my experience with some older VW, Ford and Dodge distributors, the springs are connected to weights and both the springs and the weights are connected to the lower part of the shaft. When the weights move outward because of centrifugal force, the upper part of the shaft with the cam that opens and closes the points is advanced relative to the drive end of the shaft.

The lack of resistance after servicing may just be a (good) sign that something was freed up during the servicing!

Tatra Mike
San Diego, California

1985 244 "Alfsen" (wife's car - the good one)
1984 245 "Buster" (the kid's car, now sold)
1985 245 "Cosmo" (parts car, sold off for move to WA)
1985 245 "Daisy" (back seat down, full of tools, the work truck)
1985 245 "Earl (CA vehicle 'retirement' program)

To myself, I am thinking the advance springs went bye-bye with the K-Jet systems.

The LH introduced ICU with vacuum advance inside itself and shortly the knock sensor setup started.

I have never had a distributor out to play with but if it did not turn smooth I would think there were some worn bushings along its shaft. Probably worn oblong or out of round along their lengths. Maybe there was some wobble and binding going on since the drive gears pressure was not there to help align it to half its slop?

I think the hall sensors reluctor, the part with the vanes or slots, break up a magnetic field during rotation which triggers a transistor to emits a signal output to the ICU/ECU.

Past this point its bubble blowing time, like, I am in bathwater over my head! I do not know if a magnet would make that strong of a resistance feeling. I have no idea if it might be a powered magnetic coil or what?

I do know you need that signal to tell the electronics that the engine is moving or cranking or they just sit there waiting to daisy chain things on!

Hopefully there are other Brick boarders out there who can educate both of us further. The 85 was in flux with many changes made in all those earlier and later years.

Phil