[Mgs] Unsteady timing

[Paul Hunt]

Ron - for a new distributor I'd say that is wrong.  I'd expect the light
spring to be under some tension, only the heavy spring should be loose on its
pins.  It is this that gives the 'curve', which is actually a knee rather than
a curve as the rate of advance is high initially when only the light spring is
in use, then when the heavy spring comes into play the rate of advance is
reduced.  I have had a 'professionally' rebuilt distributor in the past where
there was only one spring inside, it had the incorrect maximum advance stop
(he had ground the number off so you couldn't read it but made no attempt to
grind the stop as well to give the correct figure) and an incorrect vacuum can
for the reference number.  I am very suspicious of new or rebuilt
distributors.  Even Moss admitted they had been selling distributors with the
wrong curve for years, taking the manufacturers word for it.  Eventually they
tested some, found them consistently wrong, and got the manufacturer to
correct it.  I wonder how many suppliers would do that?

Paul.
  ----- Original Message -----
  ...  I tried turning the rotor anti-clockwise.  There is a small
  degree of slop before the spring pressure is felt and when  the rotor is
  released it does not return completely to the clockwise stop.  The rotor
  will move a few degrees counter-clockwise before the spring pressure is
  felt.  There is no sideways movement.   Does that sound correct or is there
  too much play in the rotation?