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Cam cover gasket and contact breaker change


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Is it me - I thought I would do a service on the car including an oil change and replace plugs, points, condenser, rotor arm, dis cover, leads and coil to avoid any let downs

 

I got a new cork cam cover gasket but it was a pig to fit because it seems about 1/4" too long overall - the surplus seems to have pushed out of the shallow lipping into the inside of the centre of the box between the retaining screws. This resulted in a leak when I started up so I have got to take it off to rebed.

 

I can only think to partly bed it and tighten down with the suplus length poking out of the enlarged T front end around the gear wheel and then pushing it under that lip. Is there any other tip to get it seated spot on?

 

I also had to leave changing the points and condenser as I have never had a car with the bob weights over the top of the points and condenser and I could not follow either Haynes or the BL manual instructions. If you try to remove the springs holding the S shaped weights do they fly off into the unknown and do you still leave the metal plate below them in place to do the change?

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Got the cover off today and sure enough the gasket had moved inside the groove. After a couple of goes I managed to clamp in place with the rear 2 screws and then progress to the centre 2 and finally the front 2. There is a small amount of the edge sticking out on one corner but it looked OK so I tightened everything down progressively and it appears I have made a good seal. Now I will have to get the gunk out and clean the oil spill off the block.

 

Does anyone have any tips for getting access for changing and setting the points and condenser?

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Does anyone have any tips for getting access for changing and setting the points and condenser?

 

Just lift the Bob weights off at the pivot points, this will slacken the springs and allow you to unhook them easily use the same procedure in reverse when re-assembling the weights. I think you can get to the points and condenser easily after this, most people fit electronic ignition anyway as it saves having to get at the distributor to adjust/check the points periodically. Fit and forget.

 

Ray

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Ray

 

Thanks for that - I'll give it a go this weekend. According to the BL manual you don't need to remove them but I couldn't see the cam at all and the gap was very difficult to see when it was open!

 

I have a spare Pazon electronic ignition unit which you leave the points in place but I need to connect to the ignition switch terminal of the ballast resistor and I have yet to find it!

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Ray

 

Thanks for that - I'll give it a go this weekend. According to the BL manual you don't need to remove them but I couldn't see the cam at all and the gap was very difficult to see when it was open!

 

I have a spare Pazon electronic ignition unit which you leave the points in place but I need to connect to the ignition switch terminal of the ballast resistor and I have yet to find it!

 

 

Mike,

 

The Ballast Resistor is part of the wiring loom, it is a length of resistance wire I'm led to believe, I think somebody said that it was grey coloured, I'm sure I'll be corrected if it is some other colour.

 

Ray

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Ballast resistor wire is White/Pink.

It's sonnected through a White/Yellow wire to the starter relay and the coil.

At the other end it is connected to the loom through a White wire.

 

As for the gasket, glue it onto the cam cover with some good flexible glue or adhesive sealant

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