[Healeys] Rotors - it happened ....

[Earl Kagna]

Gents:

David is right - it's been my experience that rotor to cap clearance has 
been a problem when electronic ignitions are used, but not always.  It seems 
to depend on what clearance was in the distributor initially - the placement 
(height) of the distributor shaft in the body can vary a bit from unit to 
unit.  Re-bushed distributors are suspect, as the shaft might be sitting a 
few thou higher in the body, and the placement of the magnet signal wheel 
(or slotted wheel) under the rotor raises the rotor just enough to cause 
clearance problems in some distributors.

I would be very leery of modifying any rotor - if it's ground down in any 
manner, you are reducing the distance between the metal part of the rotor 
and the top of the dist. shaft on which it mounts - not a good idea at all, 
given the rotor problems that have existed.

What I have done (and I recommend) is to grind a bit off the centre tower in 
the cap - not much will be needed.  This should be done with the carbon 
'button' and spring removed for obvious reasons.  The only downside - if you 
are carrying a spare dist. cap in the boot (don't we all do that?), it will 
have to be similarly modified.

Earl Kagna
Victoria, B.C.
BT7 tri-carb
BJ8

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dan" <jobu53 at hotmail.com>
To: <healeys at autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2008 12:38 PM
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Rotors - it happened ....


If you are using a Pertronix system, you need to grind down the rotor so it
sits farther down on the shaft. I have seen a few dizzy's where rotors were
not taken down and there is a lot of black dust inside the dizzy. I saw one
where the center electrode was completely worn away. Dan Serrao1963 BJ7