Lotus Europa Community
Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: Bryan Boyle on Friday,November 11, 2022, 07:00:50 AM
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Noticed the buggy wasn't happy a couple days ago. Was running just fine Monday and Tuesday...Wednesday...went to take her out to pick up some bits at the store...and seemed to not be running on all jugs. So...came back...checked that the idle adjustment screws were still in the carbs, the W joints ok (figuring it was a fuel issue?), topped off the needle pistons...still the same.
Put my hand under the throttle to check that the cable was ok...and heard a 'snap' of the dizzy cap clicking back into place. Hmmm...haven't had my hands down there...WTF?
Pulled the cap. Found the below.
New cap and rotor on the way from Ray. Sending the old ones back. Figure if the rotor machined out the inside of the cap, it probably was damaged also so, Ray agreed and sent both. (replacements are Lucas parts...this was marked "Pertronix")
Pays to listen as well as look. Now, to figure out how the cap got jogged on the dizzy, since the dizzy is new, clips are tight, and I haven't been fumbling in that area for a long time. If it's not one thing, it's 2 others, right? Anything to keep me from starting on rebuilding the front suspension...
(And planning, if I can get the dizzy back together &c by tomorrow...doing the Audrain Museum Cars and Coffee (Newport RI) Sunday morning at Sachuest (Second) Beach in Middletown RI. 3291R is NOT concours ready. Paint is badly checked and rubbed down in some spots. Wheels are 'experienced'. Dash has cranking (but the carpets and seats are nice...:)). But she's a survivor, so there is that, right? Not like how 693R turned out, that's for certain.)
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TWO CYLINDER? :FUNNY:
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Real Lucas rotors are problematic. IIRC, they are no longer manufactured in England and the their quality is sketchy - I think the problem is with the rivet that holds the central contact. A new supplier has emerged that supplies good rotors. They are made in England and you know you have the right one because they are red in color. I’m sure that’s what Ray will be selling you as from my limited experience in buying caps and rotors in the last few years from another reputable LBC parts supplier (not from r. d. in this case), they are now standard replacements sold by the good guys.
I would not have expected problems with a Pertronix parts. I’ll keep that in mind.
edit: Here’s a little information about the red vs “Lucas” rotors: http://www.distributordoctor.com/red-rotor-arms.html
In answer to your original question, if there are two contacts that are “hidden” in the upper two positions in your picture, I don’t know what’s wrong but I’m not familiar with that cap. Am I missing something?
edit again: I do see what looks like copper dust to the left of the upper left hand contact. Could your rotor have come in contact with it?
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I think the idea is that the rotor machined away the upper two contacts.
Regarding the red rotors, I’ve read about them being the good replacement. So, has anyone seen cheap knockoffs molded in red plastic? It would be the obvious scam, to my suspicious mind.
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I don't think so as the upper two are supposed to be side contact only.
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This is a twin cam?
That is an awful cap. I can see the bubbles in the plastic and bad quality. I had QuickSilver recently rebuild my engine and they supplied a new cap (I do not know where they purchased it from). Well after some frustrating troubleshooting, I found out the cap was bad. I used my old cap and the engine fired up.
I am not advertising, as I do not make this cap. But, here is my company. We are the last manufacturer of caps and rotors in the USA.
https://www.taroignition.com/ (https://www.taroignition.com/)
Pertronix used to buy our caps and then they went to China and India, as many did. The quality is not the same. You get what you get. It is frustrating, because for a few dollars more you can get Made in USA and most people would pay for that. However, the "buyers" do not see it that way.
On another note. I just returned a Pertronix rev limiter, because the RPM limit jumped around. Where do you think that was made?
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I added that link to my favorites!
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I'm with you, cazman!! I hope your business explodes (in a good way, of course)! :beerchug:
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Cazman, How would one purchase your goods?
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I added that link to my favorites!
X2 that.
Dakazman
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I am not advertising, as I do not make this cap. But, here is my company. We are the last manufacturer of caps and rotors in the USA.
https://www.taroignition.com/ (https://www.taroignition.com/)
I'm in the UK so less relevant but I'll say that I admire folks like yourself who actually try to do something for their country. I only wish we made more stuff in the UK and you're right, I would pay a premium to support UK jobs and manufacturing. We aren't too bad, but we still import far too much low quality stuff. Given the advances in manufacturing tolerances and the potential for materials selection/QC, it's rather sad that folks look around for "Original Stanpart" components !
Well done for keeping your flag flying.
Brian
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This is a twin cam?
That is an awful cap. I can see the bubbles in the plastic and bad quality. I had QuickSilver recently rebuild my engine and they supplied a new cap (I do not know where they purchased it from). Well after some frustrating troubleshooting, I found out the cap was bad. I used my old cap and the engine fired up.
I am not advertising, as I do not make this cap. But, here is my company. We are the last manufacturer of caps and rotors in the USA.
https://www.taroignition.com/ (https://www.taroignition.com/)
Pertronix used to buy our caps and then they went to China and India, as many did. The quality is not the same. You get what you get. It is frustrating, because for a few dollars more you can get Made in USA and most people would pay for that. However, the "buyers" do not see it that way.
On another note. I just returned a Pertronix rev limiter, because the RPM limit jumped around. Where do you think that was made?
Yeah, it was a pertronix cap. Sad you don't make the cap for this engine. I'd pay the extra money IF it was higher quality. Like buying snap-on (or matco or...???) tools. Yeah, you spend more, but you only spend it once.
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***DELETIA***
edit again: I do see what looks like copper dust to the left of the upper left hand contact. Could your rotor have come in contact with it?
You win the prize! The cap slipped, which meant that the rotor was carving away at the two contacts which were shifted towards it...hence the brass dust on the iinside of the cap.
The fit and finish of these components these days is frightful. Thanks for the link to the "distributor doctor". I have 2 spare OEM distributors...maybe I should post over to him to refresh (though, he doesn't seem to have our side-exist caps we need for the TC engine...) Just In Case.
Car seems to be running ok now; I did have to pull the plugs (since 2 of them were not firing on cue...they were fouled), clean, and regap to .0025 per the book. (NGP BPR7ES plugs) Thinking I could open them up to 030, but they seem to be ok here. May be time to recheck the sync on the infernal Strombergs, though.
Crisis over. Next disaster waiting in the wings. Right now the remains of the hurricane are blowing through SE Massachusetts...so, going to spend some quality time in prep for the cars and coffee at Sachuest (Second) Beach in Middletown RI tomorrow. Wish me luck; first trip to a real destination rather than just out and back to put miles on the buggy since I recommissioned her in April.
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Glad you sorted it out.
Thanks all for the words of encouragement.
We sell wholesale. We ship cases at a time. The way to purchase from us is to set up an account, as we do not sell direct to consumers. However, if you go to our Search Engine https://showmetheparts.com/taro/ (https://showmetheparts.com/taro/) and give me the part number, I will gladly send you (as a lotuseuropa.org member) a cap/rotor for free. Just pay shipping. We make to order for most and that is a 4 week lead time, but we also have some in stock.
I am trying to locate molds for more foreign cars. British of course. If I can get the mold (even from the UK), I'll make it.
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Keep us informed about getting those molds.
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Reversing that, what molds are you looking for? I bet we collectively have a lot of unique distributor caps in our garages ;)
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Any of the old British cars. I can get the caps to copy. But a new mold costs over $25,000.
When a manufacturer stops production, they will either scrap the mold of stuff it away. What I need is a lead on where they may be stuffed away.
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I would guess that copying a cap is doable but getting an original mold would be better?
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Definitely
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So would it be helpful to send you a cap to copy? I wonder if you’re not into rotors as well but that might be a bigger uphill sell for you since the distributor doctor seems to have that cornered.
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No, I would only need a cap to copy if I was to build a mold. Too expensive. I need the molds from someone else for the caps and / or rotors.
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Rats! I was hoping that a '70s era genuine Lucas cap might be useful to you. I hope you find some!