[Healeys] Petronics

[Dan]

I can vouch for what Earl is saying. I used the other option and shortened the
rotor. I spoke with Pertronix about this issue a few years ago and they wanted
me to send them my dizzy which I wasn't willing to do. They claimed that they
had never heard of this problem but at Conclave in San Diego last year I spoke
with a few who were having the same issue. Udo Putzke said he was aware of the
problem also and that his Pertronix units were modified to remedy this. I
don't see how modifying the unit could possibly fix this but those who know
Udo will know what I mean.

  I have been running the shortened rotor for about 1k miles with no problems
so far.



Dan Serrao

1963 BJ7

> From: kags at shaw.ca
> To: clocks at midcoast.com; healeys at autox.team.net
> Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2009 11:04:24 -0700
> Subject: Re: [Healeys] Petronics
>
> James:
>
> On some distributors where the shaft clearance - the distance between the
> top of the rotor and the bottom of the centre dome of the distributor cap is
> on the tight side (possibly because the distibutor has been re-bushed), the
> addition of the magnet ring of the Pertronix raises the rotor enough to
> close the clearance. This will fry the rotor almost immediately - I've had
> this happen. If this is the cause, the next rotor will also fail quickly,
> but not necessarily 2 blocks from home!
>
> There is usually evidence of this - look at the top of the rotor where the
> carbon contact rides and it will be obvious. I have fixed this on one car
> by gently grinding down the centre dome of the cap - with the carbon and
> spring removed, thinking that to mess with the rotor in order to lower it
> was not a good idea what with all the recent rotor difficulties that we've
> had. The downside - any spare or replacement distributor cap has to be
> similarly modified, and sometimes it will be years later before that
> happens, so remembering to do it might be a problem.
>
> Listers should note that I and a few other people feel that this clearance
> problem may be contributing to the rotor failure problem - at least in some
> cases. In other words, it may not always be a dud rotor. This also may be
> why the propblem seems to be cured when some people revert to points, and
> the problem goes away.
>
> Any others out there that can comment?
>
> Earl Kagna
> Victoria, B.C.
> BT7 tri-carb
> BJ8
>
>
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