Common Distributor Faults

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17947, 26 November 1932, Page 9

Common Distributor Faults

CLACK bearings which.allow the distributor shaft to move sideways are a common cause of faulty ignition timing on cars which have done considerable work. Tho variation is sufficient to cause rough running, erratic, performance and sometimes misfiring owing to the points failing to open. The cost ot' fitting new bushings is slight. Some distributors are rather poorly-constructed, and the top portion is liable to come loose on the casing, with similar results.

Most distributors are fitted with tungsten instead of platinum points, and this metal is too hard to be filed. When the points need trimming a thin stone must be used, or they- may be removed and ground flat on an oil' stone. Tungsten points usually need renewal about every 20,000 miles, but their cost is much lower than platinum. Many modern distributors do not use a brush to convey- the spark to the different segments, but cause it to jump a gap instead, ft is often found that the gap oxidises, but care should be taken when cleaning it not to make the gap wider. Oxidisation is retarded by ventilation of the distributor head, and this is usually- provided by gauze-covered holes which should be kept clear. It is due to formation by the spark of ozone, a particularly active form of oxygen, which must be quickly dissipated.