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Distributor Wire

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healeygal

Jedi Warrior
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The car rolled to a dead stop again (see post in Memorial Day Run); what else is new? Anyway, the culprit was a burnt out wire on the "low tension lead and bush" as seen in the Moss catalog. Problem is there are two versions - the screw terminal and the alternative Lucar terminal - which one do I want? (What IS a Lucar terminal??) Also, there is another old looking black wrapped wire (not the condensor wire) in the bottom of the distributor. Can't see where or how it attaches. The Moss catalog kind of shows it, but doesn't describe or list it as an item - what is it and where do I get one? I don't want to pull on it - all I need is for it to disintegrate in my hand!!

Sharon
BN1 - will it ever be on the road again?
 
Think of the Lucar connector as a Spade lug. See:
https://www.maplin.co.uk/images/300/jh89.jpg
The screw lug will be... threaded. Which you need should be apparent based on what's there now (threaded post or spade lug).

The other wire inside the distributor MAY be a ground wire that must be present between the moving breaker plate and the distributor housing. I'm not sure where you can get a genuine one. However, when I've had to improvise these I've gone to a motor rebuilder and gotten the high-flex braid off of a set of heavy-duty motor brushes.
 
Helloooow, Sharon. A Lucar connector is a straight Male connection on the side of the distributor that accepts a Female booted push on connector to accept the low tension wire from the coil.

The small black wire you refer to is a very short flimsy ground connection inside the dizzy that is solidly connected to the action plate and the main howsing.

An alternative method of connecting the low tension wire from the coil to the dizzy utilises a standard screw type connection.---Cheers --Keoke
 
Thanks, Doug and Keoke. Went and checked - looks like we need the threaded version, and as for the ground, don't need "genuine," just need functioning, so something improvised will do!

Sharon
 
healeygal said:
Thanks, Doug and Keoke. Went and checked - looks like we need the threaded version, and as for the ground, don't need "genuine," just need functioning, so something improvised will do!

Sharon
Click to expand...

OK Sharon. Take a very flexible piece of insulated wire about # 20 AWG. Fold it into an "S" shape ~ 1" long and solder one end to the existing ground lug on the action plate. Remove and reuse or replace the ring connector on the body of the dizzy and solder the opposite end there. The total wire length prior to installing the"S" will be ~ 4 or 5" long.---Fwiw--Keoke
 
If you go with Keoke's "S" wire, just make sure you use a highly flexible wire with multiple, fine copper strands inside. The ground wire has to flex every time the vacuum advance works (which will be a lot) so you need a highly flexible wire. Also keep in mind that this is a ground wire. You don't need it covered with insulation along its length... maybe just a few narrow wraps of electrical tape every 1/2" or so to keep the bundle together.
 
Yes DK it is a ground wire. Consequently. if it comes in conact with the live circuits inside the dizzy, she will end up stopped on the side of the road again. I strongly recommend using a fully insulated wire.---Keoke
 
healeygal said:
Anyway, the culprit was a burnt out wire on the "low tension lead and bush" as seen in the Moss catalog. Problem is there are two versions - the screw terminal and the alternative Lucar terminal - which one do I want? (What IS a Lucar terminal??) Also, there is another old looking black wrapped wire (not the condensor wire) in the bottom of the distributor. Can't see where or how it attaches. The Moss catalog kind of shows it, but doesn't describe or list it as an item - what is it and where do I get one? I don't want to pull on it - all I need is for it to disintegrate in my hand!!

Sharon
BN1 - will it ever be on the road again?
Click to expand...
Hi Sharon,
there are two flexible "pigtails" in your distributor.
One is the "low tension lead & bush" Moss #153-600. It connects from the point-condenser junction point to the coil outside of the distributor. It is spot welded onto a threaded stud & fits through a nylon insulator block "bush" which fits into a notch in the distributor housing.

The second "pigtail" Moss #153-645, is a small braided black covered lead that goes from the movable point plate to ground under one of the point plate mounting screws.This wire is spot welded to the movable point plate, the replacement wire can be soldered to the point plate at the point where the old wire was spot welded.

You "could" replace either wire with something soldered in, but it would be better to just get the two Moss replacement parts. I don't think I would improvise, at least not for very long.
D
PS - There really should be no reason for the wire to "burn out", as it should be carrying no more than about four amps. I would check the coil for a short circuit. It should measure no less than about three ohms between the two small terminals & no connection from the small terminals to ground.
D
 
HI All,
Thanks for all the info abaout the wires - will print and save it. Went from not even knowing they existed to quite a bit about them in a day's time! Think I'll take the easy way out and order them from Moss. Will also check out the coil as Dave suggested, but won't be able to do it until next week - leaving town for a few days, but not in the Healey!

Sharon
 
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