| Author | Message | ||
     richard george yeaman Frequent User Username: richyrich Post Number: 81 Registered: 4-2012 |
Last Sunday i took my Silver Shadow SRH19529 for a wee drive to the Super market, The car was going very well and I was very pleased with all the improvements i had made to this car since i bought it in june 2011. I parked the car and done some shopping came out and started the car it started imediately, going on 3 or 4 cylinders then stopped and wouldnt start, The AA was called and eventually the car returned home on the back of a breakdown truck I had a look at it on Thursday morning, plenty of petrol and a spark at the plugs car still wouldnt start I pulled the rotor arm out to hava look at it and noticed what appeared to be a crack in the bakealite behind the brass finger i changed the rotor arm with new one i had spare and walla started on the first piston, devious little blighter It would do no harm to carry a spare one of these. cheers. Richard. | ||
| Bill Coburn Moderator Username: bill_coburn Post Number: 1502 Registered: 4-2003 |
A few years back I coasted off the local road with a dead engine on my '84 Spur. As with Richard plenty of spark and fuel. Called the local road side service as I was sick of yahoos screaming 'get a Ford'! Serviceman notes that spark was getting to the cap but not beyond. Off with the rotor which appeared to be in good nick and proceeded to coat the recess where the thing plugs onto the distributor drive shaft, with NAIL POLISH! Lots of banter about not being my colour but when dry, rotor back on, cap on, turn the key and we had ignition! The rotor was shorting out internally. It was a new one on me but the man said he saw it often on old cars! | ||
| Mark Aldridge Frequent User Username: mark_aldridge Post Number: 98 Registered: 10-2008 |
My son had a rotor fail on his 1956 Jag mk1 at peak time on one of the towns busiest junctions. Made news on the local radio traffic report- gridlock in town centre ! Wasn't popular with other motorists. Since then we keep a spare in each car. | ||
| Bob Reynolds Experienced User Username: bobreynolds Post Number: 43 Registered: 8-2012 |
This is a recognised problem with modern reproduction rotor arms, even 'Lucas' branded ones. I think it has been discussed on here in another topic, but certainly on other Classic Car forums. The problem is discussed here: http://www.distributordoctor.com/rotor_arms.html Distributor Doctor does not make red rotor arms for Shadows, but he still has a stock of the original Lucas rotor arms. You should see the difference! I always keep a spare rotor arm, set of points, and distributor cap in the boot. Why wouldn't you? |
