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Distributor 101

Discussion in '308/328' started by Irishman, Jan 23, 2007.

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  1. Irishman

    Irishman F1 Rookie

    Oct 13, 2005
    3,533
    Raleigh
    Full Name:
    Kevin
    #1 Irishman, Jan 23, 2007
    No, I cannot give the clinic -- I am hoping for one for a '78 308 :). And, my searches have not helped much. A lot about the Rube Goldberg advance mechanism for example. I should look at that but right now just want to get my car running again (it ran good before this recent work). I am just trying to take care of basic maintenance items.

    I got some great advice from Lolaman for properly installing my new points which should arrive soon. And, wow, looking at the old ones I can't believe the car ran. The gap is almost non-existant. And the condition of the points is nothing to write home about.

    To the best of my (limited) knowledge I still have the whole original dual points with R1/R2 switch setup. All of the points, condensors, and wiring is all hooked up for each distributor.

    I am going to replace the plug wires. I also cleaned up the contacts inside the distributor cap with an emory cloth (lightly). I have on hand new carbon brushes and springs. Any other advice appreciated!

    My direct question is how does one properly lubricate the cam?

    Thanks,
    Seamus
     
  2. Birdman

    Birdman F1 Veteran

    Jun 20, 2003
    6,689
    North shore, MA
    Full Name:
    THE Birdman
    #2 Birdman, Jan 23, 2007
    I know nothing about the points/distributors, but I can assist with a wiseass answer:

    Throw them in a box and get an Electromotive! ;)

    Sorry, you saw that one coming. Good luck on the install. I'm sure one of the distributor experts will chime in here.

    Birdman
     
  3. ProCoach

    ProCoach F1 Veteran
    Owner

    Sep 15, 2004
    5,468
    VIR Raceway
    Full Name:
    Peter Krause
    #3 ProCoach, Jan 23, 2007
    Wipe a thin film of white lithium grease on the cam and allow a dollop to build up behind the rubbing block but not so much it spatters grease on the contacts. The reason why the gap closes up is due to the wear of the fiber rubbing block, accelerating when the grease dries up or is not present. Use some sewing machine oil (light machine oil) on the wick present under the rotor to lubircate the shaft.

    Good luck!
     
  4. bernardo66

    bernardo66 The Crazy Cat Man
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Dec 14, 2003
    26,596
    Montreal Canada
    Full Name:
    Bernie
    #4 bernardo66, Jan 23, 2007
    BLASPHEMY!!!!!!
     
  5. FasterIsBetter

    FasterIsBetter F1 Veteran

    Jul 22, 2004
    5,856
    NoNJ/Jupiter FL
    Full Name:
    Steve W.
    #5 FasterIsBetter, Jan 24, 2007
    +1. I just ordered my XDI unit from Nick's Forza. Since the motor is out and doing the cams and belt service, I thought this was a perfect opportunity to upgrade to the electronic ignition. I'm not into concours. I'm into driving, so I want the car to be as dependable as possible, and electronic ignition is the way to go IMHO. I'm sure there are plenty of purists out there who will throw a hissy-fit, but for my money, it's money well spent. The parts to do a proper distributor job cost about as much as the Electromotive setup, but with the Electromotive, that's it. Done. No expensive ongoing maintenance. And no points or advance mechanism to foul while out on the road away from home and tools.

    Well, enough of the sales pitch for conversion. Good luck with the distributor service and tuning.
     
  6. 2NA

    2NA F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner Professional Ferrari Technician

    Dec 29, 2006
    18,221
    Twin Cities
    Full Name:
    Tim Keseluk
    #6 2NA, Jan 29, 2007
    My experience has been to remove the second set of points and recurve the advance (I have an Sun distributor machine, most shops have never seen one). Then I install an MSD unit (you can hide it if you are a purist). The effect is that the distributor points are only switching a very low current signal. The MSD steps it up and energizes the coil to fire the plugs. With this setup you eliminate the dual points (the second set was for emissions, probably didn't do much) maximize performance (spark advance when you need it) and points last much longer as there is very little arcing. Trimming back the plug wire ends and checking resistance both of the wires and the spark plug ends (they vary in resistance and some ends have resistors and some are "straight thru") can often get you a pretty good set of wires without spending hundreds.
     
  7. Beta Scorpion

    Beta Scorpion Formula 3

    Jun 22, 2006
    1,379
    #7 Beta Scorpion, Jan 30, 2007

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