Rotor Arm Failing
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From: Austin Shackles on 13 Jun 2007 09:11 On or around Wed, 13 Jun 2007 08:04:28 +0100, "Andrew Mawson" <andrew(a)no_spam_please_mawson.org.uk> enlightened us thusly: >There are two common modes of failure. Either the plastic breaks down >as an insulator between the brass arm and the shaft I've had one do that - took ages to diagnose it, never having had one before. -- Austin Shackles. www.ddol-las.net my opinions are just that Travel The Galaxy! Meet Fascinating Life Forms... ------------------------------------------------\ >> http://www.schlockmercenary.com/ << \ ...and Kill them. a webcartoon by Howard Tayler; I like it, maybe you will too!
From: Barry on 14 Jun 2007 05:02 This is a common problem recently, poor quality rotor arms sold under Intermotor name, we suspect that the Lucas ones sold by Halfords are made by the same manufacturer. Not unknown to have two or three fail in a day. The insulation in the plastic breaks down, you can even detect this using a multimeter. Solution is to get some real old stock ones from the days when they were made properly. I got some from an ex MOD source. Barry "Cerumen" <cerumen.chris(a)gmail.com> wrote in message news:f4od49$f8d$2(a)reader01.news.esat.net... > > "Rob" <mesa(a)mine.com> wrote in message > news:466f2eb1$1_7(a)news.peopletelecom.com.au... > >> How does a rotor fail when its only an arm across some plastic. > > The plastic fails to insulate. > > > -- > Chris, West Cork, Ireland. > Ignoti nulla cupido >
From: trailx on 14 Jun 2007 16:37 "Rob" <mesa(a)mine.com> wrote in message news:466f4f72_2(a)news.peopletelecom.com.au... > Tom Woods wrote: > >> On Wed, 13 Jun 2007 09:39:27 +1000, Rob <mesa(a)mine.com> wrote: >> >> >>>Ken Forrest wrote: >>> >>> >>>>I don't think we can blame Lucas for this one, as they don't exist any >>>>more!. My son's Spitfire rotor arm failed (it looked OK) and we replaced >>>>the >>>>Electronic Ignition Module, coil and dizzie cap first before we >>>>discovered >>>>it was the rotor arm. I don't know who makes them nowadays, but Bill >>>>will >>>>know! >>>> >>>>Nowadays I replace these frequently if I get a misfire! >>>> >>> >>> >>> >>>How does a rotor fail when its only an arm across some plastic. >> >> >> The one on my car failed when the locating key bit in the plastic that >> goes over the shaft broke off leaving the rotor arm to not turn >> properly. It took about an hour in a car park to work that one out! >> -- >> http://www.101club.org The 101 Forward Control Club and Register > > OK > > One of normal sequence of events which I do, when a car stops and won't > start. > > Check fuel > Check spark > Check Rotor moving > Check timing to see if the rotor is approximately in the correct position. > > Reckon you will check next time :)< Once lost the spark far from home and too poor to have breakdown cover. Spent four dirty and miserable hours before I finally changed the ( newish) condenser in an act of desperation - and then found that the LT lead had broken inside the braided cloth sheath Mentally filed that away for future times - but the years passed away and dissies went with them. Now I can't fix the computerised buggers anyway, so I've given up worrying.
From: Jim Warren on 15 Jun 2007 01:50 trailx <trailx(a)yahoo.cm> wrote in message news:5ddn94F3428ekU1(a)mid.individual.net... > > > Once lost the spark far from home and too poor to have breakdown cover. > Spent four dirty and miserable hours before I finally changed the ( newish) > condenser in an act of desperation - and then found that the LT lead had > broken inside the braided cloth sheath > <grins> That reminds me of an interesting journey with a dud condenser many years ago. I was driving a Rover P4 late at night, and with just over 100 miles to go I started to get spark problems accompanied by a lot of engine speed interference on the radio and I worked out that the condenser had gone open circuit. If I used only a little throttle (less than a quarter) the engine ran. If I used too much, the weak spark wouldn't fire it - so effectively the engine cut out until I lifted off. I didn't have a spare condenser with me, but I decided the car would get me home if I was careful. It wasn't too bad - on the flat with overdrive on I could get around 50mph, downhill perhaps 55mph. But uphill, it was 3rd gear and about 25mph. There wasn't much traffic around at that time of night so I was managing OK - until some clown came up behind me! This was at the time of the temporary blanket 50mph speed limit, and he wanted to drive at exactly 50mph. So if I got above 50, I made some space, and if I dropped below 50 he sat a foot from my back bumper. It was a winding road with lots of double white lines, and he made no attempt to pass, just tailgated me to let me know I was going too slow for him. Then I came to a short steep downhill followed by a longer gentler uphill, and I tried to use the steep bit to get some momentum for the uphill. I got some, but gave it too much throttle and the engine cut out. By the time I lifted off to get the power back, he was right behind me. When I lifted off and got the spark back, it obviously ignited the unburnt petrol/air in the exhaust, because 15 feet of yellow flame shot out of my tail pipe, up his bonnet and across his windscreen. He did an emergency stop. I carried on, and never saw him in my mirror again. I got home ok, and didn't stop grinning all the way! I didn't do it on purpose, but what a way to discourage tailgating! Jim
From: trailx on 15 Jun 2007 08:27
"Jim Warren" <jimwarren(a)OMITblueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message news:uMpci.5310$p8.262(a)text.news.blueyonder.co.uk... > > trailx <trailx(a)yahoo.cm> wrote in message > news:5ddn94F3428ekU1(a)mid.individual.net... >> >> >> Once lost the spark far from home and too poor to have breakdown cover. >> Spent four dirty and miserable hours before I finally changed the ( > newish) >> condenser in an act of desperation - and then found that the LT lead had >> broken inside the braided cloth sheath >> > <grins> > That reminds me of an interesting journey with a dud condenser many years > ago. > > I was driving a Rover P4 late at night, and with just over 100 miles to go > I > started to get spark problems accompanied by a lot of engine speed > interference on the radio and I worked out that the condenser had gone > open > circuit. If I used only a little throttle (less than a quarter) the > engine > ran. If I used too much, the weak spark wouldn't fire it - so effectively > the engine cut out until I lifted off. I didn't have a spare condenser > with > me, but I decided the car would get me home if I was careful. > > It wasn't too bad - on the flat with overdrive on I could get around > 50mph, > downhill perhaps 55mph. But uphill, it was 3rd gear and about 25mph. > There > wasn't much traffic around at that time of night so I was managing OK - > until some clown came up behind me! > > This was at the time of the temporary blanket 50mph speed limit, and he > wanted to drive at exactly 50mph. So if I got above 50, I made some > space, > and if I dropped below 50 he sat a foot from my back bumper. It was a > winding road with lots of double white lines, and he made no attempt to > pass, just tailgated me to let me know I was going too slow for him. Then > I > came to a short steep downhill followed by a longer gentler uphill, and I > tried to use the steep bit to get some momentum for the uphill. I got > some, > but gave it too much throttle and the engine cut out. By the time I > lifted > off to get the power back, he was right behind me. When I lifted off and > got the spark back, it obviously ignited the unburnt petrol/air in the > exhaust, because 15 feet of yellow flame shot out of my tail pipe, up his > bonnet and across his windscreen. He did an emergency stop. I carried > on, > and never saw him in my mirror again. I got home ok, and didn't stop > grinning all the way! > > I didn't do it on purpose, but what a way to discourage tailgating! > > Jim You do know that 15 foot flames are bad for the catalytic converter, s? -:) |