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MG MG Y Type - RUNNING PROBLEMS - A `LOOSE' DISTRIBUTOR

Happy New Year Guys

I am looking for your help and advice please. I took the YT out today (2 January) on a trip down to Woodstock (UK not US!) a journey of around 45 miles. The car ran well and made good time other than having to undertake a 10 mile detour to fill up with fuel - as 2 garages I passed were closed for the New Year and surprisingly Shipston on Stour, a local market town,that I passed through, has no petrol station. As a result I had to go along the Fosse Way to a facility that was open. Mind you it was a captive market at £1.39 a litre, 12p more than I would have paid at Sainsbury's!

I only needed 5.5 gallons, which meant that there was still 2.5 gallons in the tank, annoying but the fuel gauge on the YT is very inaccurate. I mention fuel provision as this is possibly something that may need to be factored into my conundrum of very poor running after a faultless outward journey.

I should say that new points,condensor and a Red rotor arm, together with new plugs and leads have all been fitted in the last 100 miles.

As I mentionbed the car ran really well. So on the return I had travelled around 5 miles and joined the A44 when I noticed an occasional missing and eventually stopped at a garage. I checked everything and changed the plugs and even confirmed that the rev counter reduction box was not fouling the distributor cap.

I ensured that the distributor fixing bolt to the block was fully tightened but noticed as I have before that I can move the body by very slightly maybe 1mm max. I also checked that the baseplate was properly fixed.

Does this sound like a worn distributor, which when the timing is properly set up, runs perfectly for 50 odd miles and then needs electronically re-setting? Especially as there seems to be a tiny amount of play when holding the body even though as mentioned the securing bolt is fully tightened.

Perhaps I am saying the 'bleedin obvious' and have answered my own query (!) Nonetheless, any thoughts and experiences with worn distributors would be handy. Have any of used the Distributor Doctor who advertises in the motoring press?

I look forward to tapping into the vast fund of tecchy knowledge that many of you guys possess!

Many thanks

Jerry
J P BIRKBECK

Hi jerry,

I think you have sussed the problem yourself, it sounds to me like excessive play in the distributor bushes. I had the same problem with my TD last year and replaced my distributor.


I am told you can use a mini distributor if you swop the drive gear off your existing distributor and connect up the vacuum advance.(benifits only £35 of the web)

http://www.simonbbc.com/distributors/4cyl-points/45d-points-mini-distributor

Not done it myself so would require checking out further!!!!

NTG supply a replacement for £313.

The distributor doctor comes in slightly cheaper at around £200 for overhauling your unit but he usually has a 3 month lead time.

If you really want to go the whole hog fit a 123 electronic distributor from NTG, This unit fits inside a fully refurbished original Distributor so looks as it should but No more points,condenser or bob weights to worry about, fit and forget with improved performance, however at cost of £396 exchange.

This was my chosen option and I have been a little poorer but highly delighted, the TD runs so much smoother

Kind regards see you in the spring Chris Pick


C A Pick

Hi Jerry,
Happy New Year.
I have had the same problem, although other symptoms of mine was slight back firing down the exhaust and also slight machining of the distributor cap brass pick up lugs. Suprising how it will still run with a worn shaft. My solution to the problem was as Chris discribes above, the fitting of a new mini 25D4 distributor from simonbbc, with a carb spacer with vac take off from minispeed. Never had the engine run as smooth and with the vacuum diaphram it helps keep it in tune. Also has the advantage of cheap and ready available points, arm and condenser.
King regards and take care
Roy
R CLAPHAM

Jerry

Our good friend Masaaki rebuilds Y Type distributors for you. Follow the email link from his page on the Shopping Mall at www.mgytypes.org (http://www.mgcars.org.uk/imgytr/saka.shtml).

Yes you can probably buy cheaper ... but how many of these rebuilders will actually take the trouble to take the distributor out of their OWN Y Type and fully road test yours and return it to you with full test results? Answer ... not many that I can think of!

I have now had two distributors for Y Types rebuilt by Masaaki and I can personally vouch for the care and communications he takes over your unit. Oh and yes, unlike certain other rebuilders you will get your unit back ... and only your unit too!

Masaaki also does a full rebuild on Y/T wiper motors too Jerry so if your wiper motor is not operating optimally, you can send him that back too.

Paul
Paul Barrow

Hello Jerry. You seem to describe a problem that has shown up in the last ten years. It makes the timing change as the distributor shaft rotates. The body casting comes loose on the steel shaft that goes into the engine block. I've had to pin the casting to the shaft then replace the bushings and the washers on the shaft. The nylon washer under the plate that carries the advance weights is always worn almost to nothing which allows the shaft to run up and down as the engine rpm goes up and down. You will need someone to repair the distributor.

Butch Taras
VMG
R Taras

Hi Jerry,
The fixing bolt in the block only clamps the dizzy bracket to the block, and the pin on the end of the bolt engages the groove in the distributor body to prevent it popping out (due to end thrust) while adjusting the timing. The bracket itself has a hozizontal clamp bolt to retain the distributor from turning.

My guess would be to put a flat washer or two onder the head of the block bolt to firmly fix the bracket to the block. The bolt is likely bottoming out on the dizzy.

I mount the bracket to the block without the distributor installed first, to ensure the bracket is perfectly concentric with the dizzy hole in the block.
Then unscrew the bolt partially to allow the dizzy to be inserted. You should now be able to fully tighten the block bolt fixing the bracket to the block, yet still rotate the distributor body within the bracket. If the boly pinches the dizzy, put a thicker washer under the head of the bolt.

Set the timing then tighten the clamp bolt on the dizzy bracket to fix the distributor - it should not move - certainly not a mm or so.

I endorse Paul's comments about re-building your distributor too by a professional. Without doubt, it is the best money you will ever spend on making your engine run smoothly, sweetly and more powerful than you ever imagined. These distributors were designed with advance curves for fuel that is no longer available - re-tune it for what is available today, you will be astounded at the improvement.

Cheers from Down Under
A L SLATTERY

Guys

Thanks for all your help and guidance. I think I have found a potentially really useful company based in Birmingham called H and H Ignitions. Indeed some of you may have used them. It's a company that my good friend Brian Rainbow recommended. Brian suggested that I asked them to fit an ignitor and this was their response.



Good Morning Jerry
Thank you for your enquiry

We can recondition your distributor returning it back to as new factory condition, with supply & fitment of positive earth electronics the total cost would be £165.00 inc vat, we can supply a distributor cap but that will be additional to the cost quoted, lead time at present is around a working week.

Kind Regards
Lee Hull


H&H Ignition Solutions
Unit E Fens Pool Avenue
Brierley Hill
West Midlands
DY5 1QA
www.h-h-ignitionsolutions.co.uk
ignitionsolutions@tiscali.co.uk
Tel 01384261500

From: JERRY BIRKBECK [mailto:jerrybirkbeck@btinternet.com]
Sent: 05 January 2012 17:02
To: ignitionsolutions@tiscali.co.uk
Subject: REBUILDING A DISTRIBUTOR FOR AN MG YT

Dear Sir

I completed one of your on-inquiry forms earlier today with respect to rebuilding a Lucas DKY4A distributor for an MG YT.
The full details, which I had not provided are noted below:

MODEL: MG YT
Date of Production; 1950
Engine: 1250cc XPAG

DISTRIBUTOR
LUCAS DKY4 A Type DA 37
Serial No 40162A
Polarity: Postive Earth

I am seeking a quote to rebuild my distributor and supply an Ignitor unit in place of points/condensor for a positive earth

I can deliver the distributor to you and would be grateful if you could also let me have an idea of rebuild time please.

Sincerely

Jerry Birkbeck

I am taking the part in on Thursday as I happen to be attending a meeting in Birmingham and once returned, fitted and running I'll report back on my findings. The price is considerably cheaper than installing an electronic system through either NTG or Peter Edney.

Just a thought would you suggest that I have a cover provided by them (at extra cost) or use the original?
My feeling is that I go for the former.

All the best

Jerry



J P BIRKBECK

Dear All

Thanks for your advice and help.

H and H rebuilt the distributor and fitted an Ignitor Electronic Ignition system within 10 days.

That was a couple of weeks ago and Brian Rainbow kindly,brought his timing equipment across this morning and installed the system. He has used such an arrangement on his BGT and that was 10 years ago!
Having set the timing we were pleased to find that it was OK and the engine fired first time, some fine tuning and it was running smoothly. I was surprised that the battery had retained its charge so well (I installed a switch a while ago) as the last time I had used the YT was on 2 January - a couple of months ago.

Thia afternoon was sunny and warm - well 14c - so I took the old girl (no not Jo!) for a 15 mile run. It ran very well so many thanks to Brian.

I am aiming to take her up to Peter Burgess in Alfreton to get everything properly set up on his rolling road, though this wont be till late April.

So from this early assessment I can certainly reccommend H&H Ignition in Birmingham and a rebuild of the distributor with an electronic ignition for £165 (inc VAT) was in my opinion very good value. Moreover, the turn round time was 10 working days. Anyone who went to the MG Show at the NAC a couple of weeks ago may have visited their stand.

Once more thanks for all your contributions and suggestions which are very much appreciated.

Jerry
J P BIRKBECK

Yep, having a rebuilt distributor makes a ton of difference to the running of your Y for sure.

I had both my Y and Y/T one rebuilt by Masaaki Sakaguchi (see the Shopping Mall page on www.mgytypes.org) and I also had him do one in another Y locally to me here. The comment from Bob certainly says it all "Boy she sure can go now, I am amazed at the difference!!"

So, if your Y is "properly tuned" but you are not getting an especially sparkling response from her, get your distributor rebuilt. Japan may be a long way from either the US or the UK but as Masaaki is also a Y owner (and he tests your unit on HIS car before returning it to you - bet no other rebuilder does that on a Y!) I know where I am very happy to put my money.

Glad you got sorted out Jerry.

Paul
Paul Barrow

My visit to Abingdon today was the first time that I have been able to give my rebuilt distributor fitted with an Ignitor electronic ignition system a real test.

The outcome was excellent - easy starting from both cold and hot, good tickover and smooth running and very lively. A wholly different experience from before. I will report over the next few months on my experiences. Certainly a route to follow.

Jerry
J P BIRKBECK

This thread was discussed between 02/01/2012 and 25/03/2012

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