OK listers, I need some advice. I've been experiencing a random backfiring
problem upon acceleration and I thought it would be a good idea to remove the
distributor and lubricate the camshaft and centrifugal advance weight assembly.
(Something I'm 99% sure the PO never did.) Everything looked OK while I had
it out, but now that the distributor is back in the car, it won't start!
This is a Lucas 43DE4 unit with an after-market Piranha electronic ignition
fitted. (For those of you unfamiliar with the Piranha, it is an optical system
with an infrared sensor triggered when a rotor blade blocks the light path.)
Anyway, I took it all apart, cleaned and lubed the unit and put it all back
together and in the car with a new cap and rotor and now...it won't start!
However, I can't help thinking I overlooked something simple. The drive dog
only
fits in the distributor cam one way, correct? It's not possible to put it back
in the car 180 degrees out, is it? I did remove the clamp from the block after
I took the distributor out, so my static timing must be off, maybe way off.
How far out can the static timing be and the car still start? Guess I'll have
to start at square one and set the static timing at TDC, although I'm not
sure how you go about it without mechanical points. Any advice greatly
appreciated!!!
Thanks,
donny v
1978 MGB
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