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MG TD TF 1500 - distrib. problems

trying to finally get my td running. new points and condens. i think the bolt that goes thru the dist. is somehow shorting out. i have double checked all seems correct. the other problem the bottom of the points.(bekelite)riding on the cam is being chewed up and icannot find any roughspots on th distrib. any help would be appreciated. thanks les
l.f. frank

Len,
Are you saying that the dizzy cam is chewing up the baklite follower ???? Never heard of that happening,,
Where did you get the points ??

Steve
Steve Wincze

I don't think the points cam follower was ever made of Bakelite - too brittle I would think. There should be an insulator on the lead that carries current through thecap and distributor body - is yours missing? Check your shop manual for an illustration. If your new points have been damaged, it would have to be the cam - were the lobes lubricated with a smear of grease?
DLD

Les -

RE: Chewed up rub block ...
Is one corner of the rub block on the points wearing more than the rest of the rub block? Assuming that the distributor shaft or head are not wobbling, then the uneven wear could be caused by the rub block not uniformly contacting the lobe on the distributor cam.

I had the problem in my TF-1500. I found that the pivot pin on the breaker plate for the points was not quite parallel to the cam. I could have bought a new breaker plate, but I first tried to move the pin.

I moved the pivot pin a tiny amount where it press-fits into the breaker plate to make it parallel to the cam. Success. The rub block now contacts the cam lobe uniformly.


RE: The bolt shorting out ...
As DLD noted, an insulator prevents the connection for the low tension lead from touching the distributor body. There is also a clip on the connector inside the distributor. To the best of my memory it rides between the distributor body and the condenser lead (or points lead.) If the clip is not positioned correctly, then it will short out on the dist body. Don't ask me how I know that!! I don't have a photo of the clip or the correct position.

Lonnie
TF7211
LM Cook

http://www.mossmotors.com/graphics/products/PDF/163-700.pdf

Best diagram for point plate assembly
George Butz

Thanks George -

The description starting on line 61 explains perfectly what I tried to say about part 6b.

Lonnie
TF7211
LM Cook

thanks guys the bakelite washer was in the wrong place. i vaguely remember this happening on another car awhile ago. appreciate your help thanks for the reminder
l.f. frank

This thread was discussed between 02/09/2016 and 04/09/2016

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