V8 Ignition Poser

Sunday I decided to treat the Landy by fitting the new Distributor cap,
rotor arm, plugs, and leads. After getting plugs 6 and 8 the right way
round she stopped being lumpy and ran like a dream. This morning she
started up first turn (she normally takes two) and ran superbly until I
filled her up on the way home. As I pulled away she was lumpy as hell, and
had virtually no power. Fortunately it's only about 1/2 mile home and I
just about made it, having to rev the small round objects off her to get her
over the kerb. Leaving her for a while in case I was getting fuel
vaporisation, when I tried to restart her she would fire but not last long
enough to get to the front to see what was going on.

First thought was crap or water in the fuel blocking the filter, but the
filter was clean and the fuel was at the carbs. Next I checked the spark
from the coil and it was fine, the cap and arm looked OK, but the spark at
the plug was poor. Put the old cap on and no better, put the old arm back
on and it started OK, and I ended up with all the new parts but the old
rotor arm. She now runs OK, but only as well as before I started, and not
nearly as well as before I filled up.

I can see no difference between the rotors, other than the old one is
eroded, and measures about 0.7mm shorter from the centre to the tip. Any
thoughts before I risk putting another new arm on?
--
MTIA

Bob Miller
1990 ex-RAF 110 3.5 V8 17KJ83
1967 3/4 ton Sankey 09ES17

On or around Mon, 25 Apr 2005 20:41:00 GMT, "Bob Miller"
<[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:

>
>I can see no difference between the rotors, other than the old one is
>eroded, and measures about 0.7mm shorter from the centre to the tip. Any
>thoughts before I risk putting another new arm on?

make sure it's the right rotor arm, there are 2 sorts: one sits higher than
the other. ISTR that the points one won't fit an electronic distributor,
due to sitting higher and fouling the cap. Therefore the electronic type
one will sit lower and not reach the cap.

Apart from that, I have had a rotor arm that shorted into the middle. Mind,
it weren't a new one, but it is possible - no visible fault on it, either.

--
Austin Shackles. www.ddol-las.fsnet.co.uk my opinions are just that
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others"
George Orwell (1903 - 1950) Animal Farm

"Bob Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Sunday I decided to treat the Landy by fitting the new Distributor cap,
> rotor arm, plugs, and leads. After getting plugs 6 and 8 the right way
> round she stopped being lumpy and ran like a dream. This morning she
> started up first turn (she normally takes two) and ran superbly until I
> filled her up on the way home. As I pulled away she was lumpy as hell,
and
> had virtually no power.

You did top it up with petrol and not diesel, yes?

Steve

In message <[email protected]>, Steve
<[email protected]> writes
>"Bob Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> Sunday I decided to treat the Landy by fitting the new Distributor cap,
>> rotor arm, plugs, and leads. After getting plugs 6 and 8 the right way
>> round she stopped being lumpy and ran like a dream. This morning she
>> started up first turn (she normally takes two) and ran superbly until I
>> filled her up on the way home. As I pulled away she was lumpy as hell,
>and
>> had virtually no power.
>
Stupid question but did you adjust the points? If so check the fixing
screw, the timing and the condenser which is my favourite for all such
strange ignition problems!
--
AndyG

Thanks for the replies chaps:
I measured the height of the arm and it's identical to the original so I
suspect it's not the wrong one.
I live in constant fear of the wrong fuel, having once taken the P out of
someone at work who filled a petrol motor with diesel.
I didn't change the timing, but I did check tat the dizzy was tight and that
the timing hadn't slipped because of that.
I'm not so certain about the condensor, but that hasn't changed so I think
not, but I might change it anyway.
I'll see if I can get a Megger and check the arm - that seems the most
likely.

Ta Muchly

Bob Miller
1990 ex-RAF 110 3.5 V8 17KJ83
1967 3/4 ton Sankey 09ES17

I treated my V8 to a host of new electrical bits recently & it promptly
started running worse than ever.After much pratting around & gnashing of
teeth I started to replace things again one at a time - it was a brand new
duff rotor arm made by Intermotor that was causing the problems. I bought a
very expensive arm from the main dealer & all runs sweetly again. A friend
told me that he had suffered the same fate with the same make 2 years ago.
I'm still in recovery after paying £17.50 for a new arm. [should have got a
leg too for that money].

Kevin.
1990 110 gas guzzler.

--

"Kevin W" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I treated my V8 to a host of new electrical bits recently & it promptly
> started running worse than ever.After much pratting around & gnashing of
> teeth I started to replace things again one at a time - it was a brand new
> duff rotor arm made by Intermotor that was causing the problems. I bought
> a
> very expensive arm from the main dealer & all runs sweetly again. A friend
> told me that he had suffered the same fate with the same make 2 years ago.
> I'm still in recovery after paying £17.50 for a new arm. [should have got
> a
> leg too for that money].
>
> Kevin.
> 1990 110 gas guzzler.
>

Exact same thing happened to one of my mates a couple of months ago, the
fault was the new genuine Lucas rotor arm!
One wallet extrication, rape and pillage exercise later, courtesy of the
main dealer, and all was well.

--
Badger.
B.H.Engineering,
Rover V8 engine specialists.
www.bhengineering.co.uk
www.roverv8engines.com

On or around Thu, 28 Apr 2005 23:46:07 +0000 (UTC), "Badger"
<[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:

>
>Exact same thing happened to one of my mates a couple of months ago, the
>fault was the new genuine Lucas rotor arm!
>One wallet extrication, rape and pillage exercise later, courtesy of the
>main dealer, and all was well.

In my case I replaced the ignition amp unit (25 quid from Halfords) and the
ignition trigger unit (about 70 quid from landrover) before working out what
was happening.

Once had a brand new spark plug that shorted to earth rather than sparking,
too - and that caused fun tracing the resultant misfire - "can't be the
plugs, I've just replaced 'em!"

Never overlook the obvious...

--
Austin Shackles. www.ddol-las.fsnet.co.uk my opinions are just that
"The great masses of the people ... will more easily fall victims to
a great lie than to a small one" Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
from Mein Kampf, Ch 10

So Badger was, like

> "Kevin W" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> I treated my V8 to a host of new electrical bits recently & it
>> promptly started running worse than ever.After much pratting around
>> & gnashing of teeth I started to replace things again one at a time
>> - it was a brand new duff rotor arm made by Intermotor that was
>> causing the problems. I bought a
>> very expensive arm from the main dealer & all runs sweetly again. A
>> friend told me that he had suffered the same fate with the same make
>> 2 years ago. I'm still in recovery after paying £17.50 for a new
>> arm. [should have got a
>> leg too for that money].
>>
>> Kevin.
>> 1990 110 gas guzzler.
>>
>
> Exact same thing happened to one of my mates a couple of months ago,
> the fault was the new genuine Lucas rotor arm!
> One wallet extrication, rape and pillage exercise later, courtesy of
> the main dealer, and all was well.

Same here on the S2a. Replaced all the ignition bits prior to a long trip
and wondered why the damn thing wouldn't start. Turned out that the rotor
arm (unknown make) had broken up on the first turn of the engine.

--

Rich

Pas d'elle yeux Rhone que nous

Just had the same problem on my 3.9 Range Rover, which began with the engine
cutting out, the engine would just about start and would run if you held it
at 2-3K revs but would not idle, I changed the ecu temp sensor to no effect
and did just about every ecu check I could find in the book. As a last
resort I put my old rotor arm back in and the engines running fine again.
The rotor that was causing the problems was an Intermotor that I fitted it
during the last service and it had run for about a thousand miles with no
problems.

Matt

"Richard Brookman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> So Badger was, like
>
>> "Kevin W" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>>> I treated my V8 to a host of new electrical bits recently & it
>>> promptly started running worse than ever.After much pratting around
>>> & gnashing of teeth I started to replace things again one at a time
>>> - it was a brand new duff rotor arm made by Intermotor that was
>>> causing the problems. I bought a
>>> very expensive arm from the main dealer & all runs sweetly again. A
>>> friend told me that he had suffered the same fate with the same make
>>> 2 years ago. I'm still in recovery after paying £17.50 for a new
>>> arm. [should have got a
>>> leg too for that money].
>>>
>>> Kevin.
>>> 1990 110 gas guzzler.
>>>
>>
>> Exact same thing happened to one of my mates a couple of months ago,
>> the fault was the new genuine Lucas rotor arm!
>> One wallet extrication, rape and pillage exercise later, courtesy of
>> the main dealer, and all was well.
>
> Same here on the S2a. Replaced all the ignition bits prior to a long trip
> and wondered why the damn thing wouldn't start. Turned out that the rotor
> arm (unknown make) had broken up on the first turn of the engine.
>
> --
>
> Rich
>
> Pas d'elle yeux Rhone que nous
>