Distributor position

[Tintin]

The vacuum capsule on the distributor on my 4.2 series 1 has been fouling a water hose beneath the manifold. This is how I bought the car but I cannot imagine it is correct. Following conversations with others and the opportunity to look under the bonnet of a very nice S1 at Silverstone yesterday it seems that mine is incorrectly orientated. Today I re-aligned the distributor by slackening the clamp bolt and moving all the HT leads round one position. The distributor body now fouls the water pump hose connection on the opposite side and as a result the engine runs about 8 degrees too far advanced with no further adjustment possible.

Can anyone tell me (or post a photo if possible) what the correct position is please. I attach before and after photos below - with apologies for the poor quality but I still can't get the hang of this re-sizing business for the forum attachments.

Many thanks.

AFTER.jpg (41.56KiB)Viewed 4669 times

Robbie

[mike020150]

Photos can be deceptive but it looks to me as if the distributor is roughly 90 degrees too far anticlockwise. I would start from scratch with the ignition timing. Take out the distributor, set the fine adjustment to the middle of its range and use a meter or bulb to set the timing statically to the correct figure before fitting the leads and using a strobe to do a final setting. Essentially, the vacuum capsule should be facing the block rather than facing away from it as it is in the pics. Mike.

[340jag]

This is my 3.4 XJ6 Engine 1975 on a test bed , think the inlet Manifold is that of a 4.2 .
Water pump is off a MK2 !

[340jag]

3.4 XJ6 , FOR SOME REASON IT WON'T LOAD A PIC !!!
Error
The image file you tried to attach is invalid . so what's this all about , resized down to 51kb !!

[Tintin]

Thanks for your reply Mike. In my photos I am looking at the carburettor side of the engine square on from the o/s wing - in the first photo the capsule is facing the block at about 45 degrees - the hose it fouls is visible just above its small diameter end. If I try and turn the distributor clockwise by 45 degrees so that the capsule faces the block at 90 degrees, the fouling at the hose gets worse - in fact I can't turn it much more clockwise than shown in the upper pic.

The only other S1 distributor I have seen "in the flesh" has the capsule facing rearward towards the bulkhead as shown in my second photo ("after") but when I tried this today the fitting which holds the bottom of the cap spring retainer fouls the water pump hose on the RHS of the distributor as shown in my second photo "after".

If you are right and the capsule faces the block at 90 degrees then I will need to re-route the offending hose around the distributor, which seems a most unlikely scenario.

The distributor shaft will only mesh with the drive one way and I don't think that taking it out and refitting it will help - the issue is the orientation of the distributor body and cap.

Robbie

[340jag]

Well not sure why but I can't load pictures up !
My vacuum capsule is about the same as your bottom picture , you can't just move the distributor , and you can't move the leads around 1 place , timing has to be set just right , if the distributor is in the way of a pipe , you need to move the pipe , not the distributor !


Still getting this message

Error
The image file you tried to attach is invalid.

[RichardSEL]

Well not sure why but I can't load pictures up !
<snip>
Still getting this message
Error
The image file you tried to attach is invalid.

You either have to use a picture hosting site and then post the URL here (Photobucket used to be the best but now wants >$100 for "allowing" that) Or resize your pic down to a max of (from memory) 400 pixel width. And then using the "Attachments" and then "Add files" button

[Tintin]

you can't just move the distributor , and you can't move the leads around 1 place , timing has to be set just right

There are six HT spark plug terminals on the distributor and they are 60 degrees apart. If you move all the HT connections anti-clockwise by one terminal and turn the distributor clockwise by 60 degrees they cancel each other out and the timing is unaffected but the distributor cap is in a 60 degree different orientation.

Robbie

[PPV]

Robbie, I call myself an engineer and never thought of that. I have been plagued by a similar problem with my distributor fouling the water pipe from the water pump to heater line. I have checked the timing and it is correct but the distributor is just not in the right position. I think it should be rotated about 60 degrees anticlockwise. I will have to try this and see if it works (as it should!).
What a dumbo I am!
Regards,

[340jag]

3.4 XJ6 , FOR SOME REASON IT WON'T LOAD A PIC !!!
Error
The image file you tried to attach is invalid . so what's this all about , resized down to 51kb !!
-------------------------------------------------------------
Maybe the leads where in the wrong place in the cap in the first place !!
I added leads to my cap as the book , and all is well

[Tintin]

Hi Paul

I very much hope the adjustment works for you. Whilst I would love to claim credit for the idea, I can't - a good friend of mine proposed it and I simply ran with the idea.

340 - you are spot on - the implication is that previous work on the car/s resulted in the HT leads being reconnected in the right sequence but in the wrong positions.

Robbie

[PPV]

Robbie, thank you for the advice, removed the top of distibutor, moved leads 60 degrees, turned distributor in opposite direction, had to rebend the vacuum advance line a bit, checked timing with strobe and spot on!
At last I am able to turn the distributor without fouling cooling pipes and side of block. I feel so thick not having thought about this before!
Regards,