CP26309 Posted August 4, 2022 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 My early Pi car had been running perfectly these last two years after M/U & Distributor refurb, 6 new injectors and plugs, until yesterday! 5 miles into a run, stopped at lights, pulled away with a misfire that rapidly turned into fart box! Pulled into a layby and found Sooted up plugs and a weak spark at the Points which disappeared completely as I adjusted them! Two classic cars pulled up to offer assistance after I had called the RAC, they kindly returned with a new Coil, Condenser and Points, which we got the RAC man to fit...None of these did the trick and the RAC towed me home! What happened and where's the Spark gone? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
astontr6 Posted August 4, 2022 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 3 minutes ago, CP26309 said: My early Pi car had been running perfectly these last two years after M/U & Distributor refurb, 6 new injectors and plugs, until yesterday! 5 miles into a run, stopped at lights, pulled away with a misfire that rapidly turned into fart box! Pulled into a layby and found Sooted up plugs and a weak spark at the Points which disappeared completely as I adjusted them! Two classic cars pulled up to offer assistance after I had called the RAC, they kindly returned with a new Coil, Condenser and Points, which we got the RAC man to fit...None of these did the trick and the RAC towed me home! What happened and where's the Spark gone? Hi CP! Do you have a black Rotor Arm with a brass rivet?? If you have , replace it with a Red one from the DD. The black ones can be bad news. Bruce. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CP26309 Posted August 4, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CP26309 Posted August 4, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 Just now, CP26309 said: This how RAC assembled points is right? Years since l did one, and he wasn’t sure either! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CP26309 Posted August 4, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 Dizzy Doc fitted it with a Red Rota Yes! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
roy53 Posted August 4, 2022 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 try another wire [ white/black] coil to diz then a replacement power wire to coil. bat + to coil Roy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RobH Posted August 4, 2022 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 (edited) The connection to the points in your picture is wrong. The two leads should be beneath the top plastic insulator and in contact with the points spring. Where they are now the power goes direct to earth through the mounting stud and the points are not doing anything. Edited August 4, 2022 by RobH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
astontr6 Posted August 4, 2022 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 14 minutes ago, RobH said: The connection to the points in your picture is wrong. The two leads should be beneath the plastic insulator and in contact with the points spring. Where they are now the power goes direct to earth through the mounting stud and the points are not doing anything. Well spotted! Bruce. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted August 4, 2022 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 Typical of the younger generation of mechanics who have quite possibly never seen a set of points before. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trchris Posted August 4, 2022 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 You'd have thought he would have taken a mental picture of how he removed the old condenser these young mechanics have much to learn Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CP26309 Posted August 4, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 So, I refitted my old original Points and found the Spark and started the engine ok. So it was the Condenser at fault? The RAC man changed the points at the same time and assembled it incorrectly! He should have just changed one item at a time! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CP26309 Posted August 4, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 Thanks all above. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CP26309 Posted August 4, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 I put back my old points and restored the spark...so must conclude it was a failed (Chinese?) Condenser! It started up on 5 cylinders, felt the fuel line to find which injector wasn't squirting, replaced it with a fresh one and it became a 'Sixer' once again! Took it for a blast and all was restored...until the next time then my fickle friend! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RobH Posted August 4, 2022 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 If the dizzy was a recent DD refurb it should have had one of his decent condensers fitted rather than a cheap far-east one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted August 4, 2022 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 You can fit a Bosch condensor outside… Quote Link to post Share on other sites
roy53 Posted August 5, 2022 Report Share Posted August 5, 2022 But in the first post it was when driving that something failed. The wiring was at that time correct so what failed ? It seems electrical as the spark went and not the pump overheating. So i don't think solved yet. Would put back the DD condenser out of choice though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RobH Posted August 5, 2022 Report Share Posted August 5, 2022 As Roy says - it is fairly common for the wire from the dizzy to the coil to become intermittent. It isn't supported well, so vibrates with the engine and can fracture inside the insulation at the ends where the wire enters the spade connector. Same for the power wire on the other side of the coil. Most of the time the insulation holds the broken ends together so everything works but now and then the contact breaks...... It's well worth checking for that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Peter Cobbold Posted August 5, 2022 Report Share Posted August 5, 2022 1 hour ago, RobH said: As Roy says - it is fairly common for the wire from the dizzy to the coil to become intermittent. It isn't supported well, so vibrates with the engine and can fracture inside the insulation at the ends where the wire enters the spade connector. Same for the power wire on the other side of the coil. Most of the time the insulation holds the broken ends together so everything works but now and then the contact breaks...... It's well worth checking for that. Yes, I had one fail while driving. The break was hidden under the insulator. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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