----- Original Message -----
From: "John Innis" <jdinnis@gmail.com>
To: "Tim Gaines" <mtgaines@presby.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 10:11:49 PM
Subject: Re: [TR] Spit vacuum retard fix
I did not use that method to fix this problem on my '76. Instead I disabled the
vacuum retard. I screwed the two plates in the distributor together and blocked
off the opening with a bit of aluminum. My car (with a DGV) performs fine this
way (centrifugal advance only).
On Tue, Mar 10, 2015 at 9:00 PM, Tim Gaines < mtgaines@presby.edu > wrote:
No one on the list even uses the vacuum units anymore, at least as far as I can
tell. But I like the way the retarding unit smoothed the idle on my TR6, so I
wanted to restore the one on my Spit to working order too. The potential
O-ring "fix" I mentioned last week (below) actually seems to have worked. I
can't blow air into the vacuum line anymore, and when I pull on the arm that
normally extends into the distributor, I get air movement in the line.
I haven't been able to see it in action, though, because I've encountered a
very weird problem in my attempt to start the engine after letting the car sit
in the garage for 3 years. I'm going to post a question about that in a few
minutes.
Tim
___________________________________
I've discovered that the vacuum retard unit on my 1980 Spitfire 1500 (original
Lucas electronic ignition) has a leak. When I blow through the attached vacuum
line I can feel air escaping near the movable shaft that hooks into the
distributor. I decided to look for a replacement and trusted Google to get me
to the regular suppliers and others I might not know about. One of the finds
was a Tips & Tricks section of the online Spitfire and GT6 Magazine, copied
below.
------------
"I was able to repair my vacuum retard with a 69 cent o-ring. Just remove the
vacuum retard from the distributor. Slip the o-ring over the shaft and push
into to housing. I used two o-rings but one seemed to work just as well. This
won't work if you have a ruptured diaphragm but in most cases the vacuum leak
occurs at the shaft. You can get this part at any hardware store. The size is
1/4"OD x 1/8" ID X 16" thick."
------------
I'm sure the last dimension given would be 1/16" thick.
I'm just wondering if anyone has experience with this fix. I plan to get to the
hardware store tomorrow and give it a try, but this sounds too good to be true.
Was there an O-ring in the unit originally, or would this be a fix for some
other broken seal?
Tim Gaines
Clinton, SC
1974 TR6
1980m Spitfire
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