[Mgs] Distributor woes

[Douglas Shook]

Yes, Paul is right. I did not enlarge the photo until now and misread the
wiring.

On Sun, Dec 28, 2025 at 6:35 AM Paul Hunt <paulbhunt73 at gmail.com> wrote:

> On a 25D4 the coil wire from the harness is white with a black stripe and
> is external to the distributor and connects to a spade terminal on the
> outside of the distributor.  Internally there is a brown cloth-covered
> tinsel strand wire from the spade that sits under an insulator and nut on
> the points.  It needs to be electrically isolated from both nut and stud.
>
> Whilst on the 45D4 it is black, is the coil wire and does pass through the
> distributor body, it is factory-attached to the and is the live side not
> the earth.  It has a tab that slides under a folded over section of the
> points spring, there is no nut, just an insulator that sits between the
> spring and a support.  A short length of wire is external ending in  male
> spade connector connecting to the white/black harness wire.
>
> Originally the 25D4 had an earth wire spot-welded and riveted to the
> points plate, 45D4 used a through-hole terminal under the condenser screw
> so that screw needs to be long enough to hold both securely.  But make sure
> neither points nor condenser screw are too long or they can foul the
> weights and cause running problems.  Like the 25D4 internal coil connection
> the earth wire was originally a very flexible brown cloth insulated
> tinsel-stranded wire going to one of the screws securing the fixed part of
> the points plate to the distributor body.  Not generally available, if they
> (both coil and earth wires) fail standard wire probably won't last very
> long as the points plate is continually twisting back and fore as the
> throttle is opened and closed - if you have vacuum advance.
>
> Unless you are replacing the screw that came out make sure it will fit
> before putting the condenser in position.
> On 28/12/2025 12:50, Douglas Shook wrote:
>
>
> Question #2
> No, the black wire is the feed to the coil and needs to be under the nut
> on the points spring. It should contact the spring but not the stud. Ensure
> that you have a good insulator on that post/stud to separate the spring
> from the stud.
>
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