• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Tips
Tips

Failed ignition points?

Share this page

T

Tinster

Guest
Guest
Offline
You name it, I've experienced the failure
in my car, except ignition points failure.

I've got almost 2000 miles driven on the current
set of points. My gut tells me they are about
to fail and cause a major breakdown for me.

I know how to set point gap, once the points are already
installed.

Could someone run me , step by step, on how to remove
my old points and install new points?

<span style="color: #660000"> :yesnod: You don't have to ask Paul. Yes, I am
installing a completely new ignition system before I attempt
to drive this car 200 miles thru the mountains and desert.
I've been broke down too many times... not to install all
new components!!

regards,

d</span>
 
kodanja said:
Two Words Dale!
"Electronic Ignition"
Click to expand...

<span style="color: #990000">Been there, done that, failed at
under 200 miles driven. Total waste of good money.

d </span>
 
Hmmmm, I've got over 3000 miles on my elec. igntion with out <span style="font-weight: bold">ANY </span>problems.

Not sure I understand what the problem is.... :wall:
 
In spite of what your gut is telling you, a set of points should only need to be adjusted every 2 - 3 THOUSAND miles; and need replacement no sooner than 10,000 miles. That's been my experience, YMMV, of course...
 
One thing about points IF they themselfs fail one can redneck re-engeneer them to at least get you to a repair shop or parts supplier or even home?
Electronic ignition on the other hand {and I admit they are better} BUT WHEN they fail if you do not have another complete component for replacement you better have a cell phone and a wallet full of money for the tow truck you are going to be calling.
Example:
My 1973 Bronco 302 cu in. I was deep in the Mountains enjoying a 4x4 excursion when out of the blue the engine flat out quit. What had happened is the contact {the tungsten button} on points moving arm had FALLEN OFF! Yep Gone forever! Needless to say wayyyyyyyy too much point gap, not touching at all therefore no spark. The fix?
A little bending of the arm along with a little adjusting of the adjustment screw to get at least some breaking {contacting} action and even to my suprise the engine started up. NO it did not run well at all but at least it was running and did succeed in getting me out of the mountains and home By the way.
NOTE:
Now I carry either spare points & condenser or spare ignition moduel in ALL of my vehicles AND TOOLS! {The point failure on my Nearly New Bronco at the time} I had Nothing more than a pair of fingernail clippers to use as a screwdriver and pry bar.
I have had to fill my power steering pump with water too {same vehicle} but that is another story for another time
Moral of these tales ........... DO NOT GO UNPREPARED!
 
AweMan said:
Now I carry either spare points & condenser ...
Click to expand...
Which of course cost you nothing, since they were leftover parts at the last tune-up.
 
Tinster said:
My gut tells me they are about
to fail and cause a major breakdown for me.
Click to expand...
That's just the spicy sausage you had for lunch ... 2000 miles is nothing for a set of points and they virtually never "fail" anyway. When they do start to wear out, they will give you plenty of notice (in terms of the engine being a bit harder to start, idle a bit rough, etc.) and keep running for thousands of miles beyond that point (so you can get home).

If you want to fiddle with them, check that the point cam still feels oily (add a tiny bit of oil or grease if it doesn't) and check the gap.

But I'd go for a drive instead!
:driving:
 
This is a long time ago and I don't <span style="font-style: italic">really</span> remember the details -- but, I was out with a neighbor, fishing in San Francisco Bay in a little open boat, when we couldn't get the outboard to restart for the trip home. We popped the cover and determined that it definitely was getting fuel. So, we looked at whatever kind of ignition magneto it had, and I could see that something was definitely amiss. As I say. I really don't remember exactly what was broken, but I DO remember that the contents of my tackle box and my Swiss Army knife were all that I had to get the motor running again -- which I did! We got to shore under our own power.

IIRC, Tinster, you have the necessary spare parts (and <span style="font-style: italic">[many</span> others) in your boot. Therefore, you're just looking for the replacement procedure -- should the need arise. I can't speak to the whole TR6 procedure, never having owned one, but I think it's similar enough to the TR3 that I can say:
1) Remove the Distributor cap and rotor.
2) You can now clearly see the points. They look just like the spares you are holding in your hand.
3) In the TR3, one screw holds the assembly to the "breaker plate" -- that's the metal plate they are sitting on... and one wire is connected to them.
4) Remove the screw.
5) Lift out the assembly and disconnect the wire -- quickly (before you forget how it goes) reattach the wire to the new point set.
6) Put the new points set down, where the old ones were sitting and reinstall the one screw, but not all the way tight.
7) Rotate the engine until the distributor cam point is directly under the "rubbing block" of the moving point -- which is to say, they are open as far as they will go.
8) Insert your .015" feeler gauge between the two points and adjust the stationary point until you feel that the gap between them is .015" (that's why you left the one screw only partially tight -- so you could move the bottom plate of the point set, but it would stay put where you left it).
9) Tighten the screw.
10) Recheck the gap. Repeat steps 8 and 9 as often as necessary to obtain the proper gap.
If your car was running properly before the points "broke," you should not need to reset the timing. (and I <span style="font-style: italic">really</span> don't know how to do that on a TR6 anyway...)
11) Replace the rotor, then the cap. Don't forget the rotor!
12) Continue your mountain journey.
13) IF your points fail, and, IF this was helpful -- raise one to ol' Moses when you get to the next watering hole.
 
It always seems that you can do something with points to get you going as AweMan has pointed out. I once had a '67 Mustang with a V8 running along Southern State Parkway here on Long Island when the engine just died. I pulled over and figured it had to be ignition because it happened so suddenly. I removed the distributor cap, peered inside, scratched my head a little, and then saw, or actuaully didn't see what the problem was. The small fiber on the points that rides against the distributor cam was missing! It just broke off. I could readjust the points, but still had a problem with insulating the points from the ditributor cam. I happened to have some electrical tape in the car, and wound a couple of layers around the cam. Adjusted the points by eye, and the sucker started up. It didn't run so great, but it got me to a friends service station a few miles away where we put in a new set of points. :thumbsup:
 
Thanks Moses !!

Copied, printed out and will shortly be in my gargae.

thanks again.

d

Edit: Art, that's real interesting to read about all
these points failing. Just about every component in my
car has failed at least once- except the points.

Real curiosity, huh?

I carry four spare U-joints just in case.
My new ones have maybe 1800 miles use on them.
Are these parts that regularly fail?

d
 
Tinster said:
I carry four spare U-joints just in case.
My new ones have maybe 1800 miles use on them.
Are these parts that regularly fail?
Click to expand...
Basically, NO, not if quality parts are properly installed and lubricated. Worst case scenario is that a u-joint will give much warning before a complete failure, and that warning likely wouldn't start for a good 25,000-35,000 miles or more. (And that mileage is for Spitfire rear axle shaft u-joints, where the joints carry all sorts of loads. Those in a TR6 likely go much longer.)
 
Tinster said:
Thanks Moses !!

Copied, printed out and will shortly be in my gargae.

thanks again.

d
Click to expand...
You're welcome, but ONLY if you wait until your car won't run to do this -- or until the specified 10,000 mile replacement interval.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Edit: Art, that's real interesting to read about all
these points failing. Just about every component in my
car has failed at least once- except the points.

Real curiosity, huh?[/QUOTE]
What no one is mentioning is how OLD these points-that-failed were. I've run 'em too long, in my day, too. WAAAY past 10,000 miles. Then, you're just asking for trouble...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]I carry four spare U-joints just in case.
My new ones have maybe 1800 miles use on them.
Are these parts that regularly fail?

d [/QUOTE]

To paraphrase Andy a bit, "No. These are not parts that regularly fail after only 1800 miles." (or 2 x that, or 3 x that, or 4 x that, or 5 x that, or 6 x that, or 7 x that, or 8 x that, or 9 x that, or even 10 x that.)
 
Dale- I can't see you changing U joints on the side of the road. Take em out of the trunk and put em on the shelf for "IF" you ever need them.
 
Pay special attention to the wires from the condensor and the "powerfeed" from the side of the distributor. They should be under the little plastic "top hat" in contact with the point spring, but NOT in contact with the post that the nut attaches to. (or the nut either) The plastic part has a place to put the wires, and then it fits into the hole made by the spring. If either wire inadvertantly touches the center post, it grounds them, and the car won't run.
 
Tinster,

I hate to say this but I believe your having a "Very Serious" anxiety attack!

If I were you (And I`m not), I would`nt go on this adventure your about to encounter until something else "Really" breaks down inside your garage or even closer to home!

You did say you have a bad "Ticker" or something; Correct?

Russ
 
Moseso said:
...What no one is mentioning is how OLD these points-that-failed were. I've run 'em too long, in my day, too. WAAAY past 10,000 miles. Then, you're just asking for trouble...
Click to expand...
<span style="color: #663366">Something else no one is mentioning is how NEW these points-that-failed were. :wink:</span>

Like many other repro parts, some of the new ignition stuff is, well, compost-like...and not just rotors! I don't know what the current stuff ostensibly from Lucas is like, but the old "Quikafit" sets were pretty good and durable, although not 100%. And the older Lucas points with the phenolic rubbing blocks could sometimes go for tens of thousands of miles with only the occasional regapping and/or filing.
 
Dale....
I think you should buy the new points set and put it in your trunk just in case; no need to mess with the ones in it that are working perfectly well.

If you need the new ones on the side of the road, well, you'll figure it out then. Why tempt providence.
 
Back
Top