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Distributor configuration


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Good afternoon all

It's been a while since I tinkered!! Now, being the proud owner of a TR6 (purchased August 2018) I'm starting to do some little "jobs"

There is a clicking sound coming from inside the distributor cap - upon removing it I see something new to me; under the rotor arm there is a 6 blade fan; what is this?

The car is not fule injected anymore, it has triple webers - is that significant?

Should I replace the distributor to what I would call a standard, rotor arm only unit?

Thoughts and ideas please

Peter

 

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Hi Peter

that sounds like the optical interruptor of a lumenition optronic electronic ignition system

its a black six bladed rotor

my care came to ke with the same, worked fine.

hth

steve

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Peter ,

Methinks that you have "electronic " ignition fitted and I'm guessing Lumenition.    Steve's just beaten me to it !

Revington lists 4 electronic kits for the TR6 https://www.revingtontr.com/electrical/engine-electrics/electronic-ignition

If you've  got any paperwork with your car it might be worth checking the invoices for confirmation.

Bob

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The rotor arm is still needed.

The electronic ignition could be Lumenition or perhaps Newtronic/Piranha (which are the same).

The clicking could be that the interruptor plate (the fan you refer to) is sitting too high. Usually these are a press fit over the old contact breaker cam.

Try pushing the plate downwards on the distributor shaft, it may help.

Nigel

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if the chopper is fouling the optical switch you will usually see evidence of some markings on each blade.

difficult to be certain of the cause of your clicking without closer inspection - perhaps sharing a video with sound would help.

...... Andy 

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Ps, i think i have an old but working ‘spare’ lumenition in the garage somewhere if you need spare parts.

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30 minutes ago, AndyR100 said:

all electronic ignition systems I am aware of dispense with points...... Andy 

 

Didnt ‘sparkrite’ or similar make a ‘points assist’ ignition system back in the 1980s....

kept the points but took virtually all the electrical load off them, probably a CDI system 

back in the day i ran a car spares shop ..

steve

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Any electronic ignition from the last 20-30 years is going to be pointless. Not like that awful tv show, but the ignition won't need contact breakers!

Nigel

Edited by Nigel Triumph
Typo
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1 hour ago, Steves_TR6 said:

Didnt ‘sparkrite’ or similar make a ‘points assist’ ignition system back in the 1980s....

kept the points but took virtually all the electrical load off them, probably a CDI system 

back in the day i ran a car spares shop ..

steve

I think you are right Steve..... although I doubt there are many survivors still in play.

..... Andy

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The mountings for electronic ignition modules will usually use those originally Holding points/condenser so rather surprising that they are still in there. A photograph or two would probably help clarify.

...... Andy 

 

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49 minutes ago, PJR said:

I only asked about the points as they are still there in the distributor

That sounds odd. Surely the points have to be removed to enable the photodetector to be fitted for the Lumenition system?

http://autocar-electrical.co.uk/images/pdf/pdf_optronic/fitting_kits/FK116-installation.pdf

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Try 11 deg BTDC at tickover then optimise by road testing. If the engine pinks under load, retard slightly. If there's no pinking, try a little more advance until it just pinks then back off a fraction. The optimum setting depends on engine condition and fuel octane.

My CP series runs best at 12 deg BTDC, using 99 octane Tesco Momentum fuel.

Nigel

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When timing be aware that the timing marks can slip, mine were 8degrees out !

so set to 11 and adjust for best results, or set to true TDC and check timings marks align correctly first.

steve

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