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| Joined: | 03-12-2005 |
| Location: | Kingman, Arizona USA |
| Posts: | 532 |
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It's a bit hard to tell from the photo but the curved discoloration that runs through the rivet area of the rotor appears to be some sort of high voltage arcing. The cause might be a defective carbon button in the dist. cap, foreign material inside the distributor, or a deposit of carbonized oil. IMHO the rotor and distributor cap will both need replacement.
Lucas 41584, Jensen P/N unknown, Lotus P/N unknown. (Examples seen to date: rev A, date 4374; rev A, date 3174; rev A, date 1874; rev A, date 1174.)
Vacuum retard: 3 to 5 crankshaft degrees at 6" Hg, Lucas P/N 54427140. (Rated 4-6-4 [no action 4" Hg, max action 6" Hg, max retard 4 crank degrees].)
Centrifugal advance: zero crankshaft degrees at 1000 rpm, and no more than 17 crankshaft degrees at 2500 rpm. (This is in addition to whatever static advance is chosen.)
If you remove the distributor from the engine to change the points and condenser, you should also replace the o-ring on the distributor spigot (the part that is inserted into the engine). Also, remember to lubricate the rubbing block on the points or it will wear down very quickly and you'll need to readjust the points gap every few hundred miles or so.
For spark plugs, everybody seems to have their own preference but NGK plugs have always worked well in my JH.
For plug wires, I strongly recommend the 8mm (blue) Magnecor wire sets (usual disclaimers). My car still has the same set installed in 1999 or 2000 by its PO, and they have exhibited no problems whatsoever. If you use a good grade of dielectric grease to seal the spark plug and distributor boots, your ignition system becomes virtually waterproof. As a case in point, my car starts and runs even if the spark plug boots are submerged in residual water left over after an engine cleaning.
All the parts you'll need for a tuneup are available from Delta or through the JHPS. Their prices have always been fair, and are often the lowest available, and in addition you know you'll be getting quality stuff. Again, usual disclaimers.