Distributor spring specifications

[Forumadmin]

One thing we could add to the tech specs being worked on by our Legacy team, if anybody knows, is what the distributor spring specifications are. We need to know the primary and secondary spring free length and rate
Distributor tuning article
http://www.distributordoctor.com/distri ... rings.html

As the New Year is approaching how about volunteering some time and effort to the Legacy project? Contact Alastair via PM or jowett.net email.
If you have any press cuttings can you scan them in?

[Alastair Gregg]

Yes Please do.

[PJGD]

I have to assume that this information has been posted or otherwise linked on this site before, but if not, here is a useful chart that gives calibration specifications for a vast number of Lucas ignition distributors including for our favourite cars.

It can be downloaded in PDF format from these sites: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/50181364/Co ... ing-Marcel or alternatively: http://www.sterlingbritishmotoringsocie ... _Chart.pdf

Note that there is a copyright owner for this material. I am not sure how valid that is since the information obviously originated from Lucas and so I would have thought that whoever owns the legal entity that was Lucas Electrical (possibly Magneti-Marelli) would be the real copyright owner. Interestingly, the version posted at the above sites is dated 1/7/02, whereas the chart that I downloaded ~2 years ago is dated 2006. I have posted my 2006 version in my Gallery: TOPIC

[Forumadmin]

Thanks for putting in Gallery. I have seen those before but they still do not answer the spring free length and rate that are required to get those curves. Fairly academic anyway as the petrols are so much different so I expect we need a different curve.

[PJGD]

Yes, that is true, we would still like to have that spring information. As it happens, I do have a reasonable spring tester at work so I suppose it behooves me to take the springs out of a suitable distributor and record the values.

From this Lucas chart, the speeds given must be engine speed (and degrees must therefore be engine degrees), not distributor shaft speed, but I have not worked out what ECM Curve means in this context. Any ideas?

Philip

[Forumadmin]

Try this link http://www.team.net/mharc/archives/html ... 00197.html

From "Lucas Equipment and Spare Parts 1945-1960"

Year Stock # ECM Curve Advance Springs

1953-1955 40367D/E 364 11-13 407267/S
1956 40488A 545 11-13 416111/S
1956-59 40510A 546 11&1/2-13 420469
1959-60 40510B/D&F 546 11&1/2-13 420469
1960 40510E&H 546 11&1/2-13 54412196
1960 (TC) 40718A 710 12-14 54412530

[ian Howell]

Mea Culpa!

At Wakefield I promised to donate to the club a distributor tester that I rescued early last year.

No empty promise - it sits in my shed waiting for me to get my finger out, BUT . . .

WHO did I promise it to? As far as I am concerned it should go to the Club, but obviously there are some (a very few?) members who would be able to house and use this bit of kit, so it needs to go to somebody who will take it into custody on the club's behalf.

If this means it goes where persons other than club members could benefit - so well and good but it should belong to the club.

It is quite a big bit of kit, about 2ft square and 1ft thick with a motor to drive the dizzy, a vacuum pump, guages and an illuminated dial to show the dwell angles etc. I might be able to deliver it on one of my trips to mid-Wales if that did not involve too big a diversion, or arrange a meet somewhere along the M4 corridor?

Answers on an eMail please to . . .

[Tony Fearn]

Hello Ian.

Have you got a photo you can upload?

I have no interest in the object per se, but I'll bet many of us would like to know what it looks like.

Regards,

Tony.

[Forumadmin]

Assuming I retire soon, I should have time to provide a service. Mind you will have to find space around the Javelin project!

[Peter Holden]

Many years ago there was a club officer 'tools librarian' who job it was to hold tools for the benefit of members to borrow as and when needed. This sounds as though it might be a special bit of kit. Can't say I have ever seen one. So it might not be suitable for loaning out.

However as the tools librarian no longer exist as a club officer. The tools are now held by Jowett Spares. I would suggest that Jowett Spares take on the custody of this item. Rather than lending the equipment the spares would be in a position to offer a repair service for distributors using this equipment.

[ian Howell]

I have a feeling that at Wakefield there was mention of a 'Dizzy King' in the club? i e someone with specialist knowledge and consummate skills in this area!

No problem. Yes Tony, I will get some photos soon (but it may take a few days as the kit is in my son's shed under a load of Capri / Mercedes parts) and it is a bit 'utchy' down here at the moment!

How lucky I am that my 1930 Long Four does not have the 'advantage' of automatic A and R. A neighbour was also impressed with its lack of fan, water pump, fanbelt, hydraulics, fuel pump, screen washers, automatic choke and all the other paraphernalia that makes modern motoring so boring.

I am sure that with the usual way of things in the club we will find a way to get it to where it can do some good.

Watch this space. . . .

[Keith Andrews]

Sounds like one of the old Sun dizzy recurving machines...

[ian Howell]

Well now . . . I dug this bit of kit out yesterday and cleaned off the dirt, replaced the mains cable and fitted a more appropriate fuse.

'Fired' it up and all seems to be in good order and complete. It appears to have hardly been used.

It is a Crypton Triangle BC 75 model.

There is a warning label on the front that says ' Do not operate this equipment until you have read and understood the instructions'.

Well there aren't any so I have sent off a request to Crypton for possible information.

I will try to get a photograph later today.

I am going to Wales later this week so I could drop it off at a convenient point en route, or I could possibly arrange delivery to other part of the country at a later date.

Ideas please.

[ian Howell]

Here is a picture of the Crypton BC 75. I have had a friendly reply from Crypton but regret they cannot offer anything by way of instructions.

There are two meters on the front panel, vacuum and revs. The central switch gives either clockwise or anti-clockwise rotation, with or without vacuum.

The two flying leads are for connections to the distributor under test: - one to the contact breaker and I ASSUME one to the body (earth?).

I may be able to answer any other questions.

[Forumadmin]

Now in my hands and trying to figure out how to work it!
This seems the best so far on finding out how to work it.
http://www.4king.com/Testing%20of%20Dua ... ibutor.pdf
I have not fired it up yet.
There is a ring graduated in degrees (180 degrees in either direction) that seems to relate to an index mark (albeit black on a black background) connected to a rotating disk that is attached to the distributor shaft which I presume whizzes round when you apply the RPM. The body is clamped in a gantry.

Anyhow something to play with when I have a dull moment. Beats the manual way I set up the dizzies for racing and rallying with a variable speed drill!
http://forum.ih8mud.com/tools-fabricati ... chine.html