As a test, install the broken rotor that you know will work. Measure how high the contact tip sticks up above the distributor body. Then do the same thing with your replacement rotor and see if there is any difference.
Ray
Member
I ordered a Delco D302 distributor cap and matching Delco D401 rotor today. I could only deduece that the rotor and distributor cap combination I patched together wasn't agreeing with each other. I'll let ya know how that goes.
Senior Member
As a test, install the broken rotor that you know will work. Measure how high the contact tip sticks up above the distributor body. Then do the same thing with your replacement rotor and see if there is any difference.
Ray
Member
I installed my new rotor and distributor cap today and my car started up on the first turn with no ticking sound, as earlier described. The new distributor cap fit much more snug than the old one.
My theory is even though the original distributor cap was incorrect, by using an external battery booster to get the car started it caused enough juice/spark to start the car. As I drove the car throughout the day, it became increasingly harder to start without using the booster but it did start. Please keep in mind the car has only been drivable for the past 6 months and it wasn't uncommon to start it up two to three weeks at a time so a low battery was common hence the use of the external battery booster. Does this theory make sense? If yes, the hard starting problem that originally steered me to installing an electronic ignition in the first place might have been avoided with a $15 correct distributor cap. (I don't regret installing the electronic ignition but you can easily understand my lesson learned here.)
I did discover a new problem though. Now when I make two or more fast accelerations on the gas pedal I get a pop/backfire coming from one of my carburators. If I slowly press on the gas pedal it sounds great. Simply put vroom-vroom equals pop but vroooooooooom equals no pop. This pop never occured before installation of the electronic ignition, coil, and plugs. Is this pop timing related? (The carburators are brand new Stromberg 97's)
Senior Member
The "wrong" cap/rotor combination can cause hard starting, but not the same kind of wrong that you had on your car. If you use a short rotor with a tall cap, the distributor will assemble with no problems, but the spark will have to jump a much greater than normal gap inside the distributor. Here is where the electronic ignition could make a noticeable difference. However, if I understood your description correctly, this is not the combination you had. Yours was exactly the reverse, which caused actual mechanical interference, but shouldn't have created a gap issue.
The fuel problem you are describing is most commonly the result of a too-small accelerator pump shot. This can be caused by defective pump parts or incorrect stroke adjustment on those carbs which are adjustable. I can't think of a plausible reason why the electronic ignition alone should cause this effect, but you still need to check the timing because installation of the Pertronix very likely did change it.
Ya know, I just now thought of a different possible problem. It is evident that the rotor was striking the cap before you installed the correct parts. I am wondering if this could have damaged the centrifugal advance mechanism in some way. To be on the safe side, you might want to remove the breaker plate and take a look.
Ray
Last edited by raycow; 08-17-2012 at 01:49 AM.
Member
Now my car doesn't start at all and it's definitly my fault. After work today I tried to start my car and it just kept turning but wasn't firing up. Since timing was not done after the electronic ignition install, I made a mark on the distributor to show where it was originally set, loosened both bolts on the distributor and rotated it clockwise. This made the car sound like it was cranking much worst as I tried to start it. So, I went back and rotated the distributor counter clockwise this made the car sound like it was cranking faster and about to start but it didn't. I went back and set the distributor to the original mark, tightened back both bolts on the distributor, and tried to start it. It turned over two times and started to make a weird sound, so I stopped trying to start the car. I waited five minutes, turned the key and nothing and I'm talking about the only thing I heard was the ignition go click.
Let the tongue lashing begin....what did I do? Could I have permanantly damaged something is my main concern.
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