I had Lucas distributor problems for a few years, mostly old age stuff, damn
thing was just worn out. After the third overhaul it was obviously not
making it any more and needed replacement. Near the end of the life of the
old Lucas unit I had to adjust the points every 2000 miles and replace them
at about 4000-6000 miles. The rubbing foot would wear out quickly from
constant changes of alignment.
A new Lucas distributor (without vacuum parts) listed at about $240. A new
Mallory dual points distributor (100% mechanical, no vacuum) was $130. My
MGA has had the Mallory unit for four years now. The car has been going
12,000 to 17,000 miles a year, so has accumulated nearly 60,000 on this
distributor. After two years I adjusted the points (not far out of
adjustment). After four years I replaced the points (not worn too bad,
considering).
I believe the points will last a long time if the condenser is in good
condition and if you grease the rubbing foot a bit each time you change the
oil. From experience I would also say that the points life depends a LOT on
the mechanical condition of the rest of the distributor. Old worn out sloppy
parts in the spark advance mechanism or a worn out bushing on the main shaft
will allow some nasty misalignment for the points contacts and the rubbing
block. With a lot of slop this alignment can change dramatically with each
rotation and with motion of the vacuum & mechanical advance mechanism,
causing accelerated wear on the points.
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