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Wierd Rotor Problem

Last week the engine died in my 63 Champ with 6 cylinder engine. I replaced the distributor cap and rotor and she started right up and ran fine. Today after driving the truck for about 400 miles theengine died again. I replaced the rotor (only) this tiome and she started right up. I am tthinking that I may have installed a defective rotor, but I'm wondering if something else may be going on. The new cap is showing NO abnormal wear or damage, and the old rotor does not show any unusual wear either at the outer edge of the contact. The inner center looks fine too. The distributor is an Autolite. Does anybody know of some condition that could exist or occue that may cause the rotor to fail prematurely, or did I just get a defective rotor by some freak chance?

Reply to
Chick
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Reply to
Jeff Rice

Reply to
Chick

Is there excessive play in the distributor allowing it to rise up and down on accel/ Decel?

Mark ( thinking out loud) Dunning

Reply to
Mark Dunning

Man, that almost sounds kinky Jeff (Adjusts timing by hand..) Rice

"Mark Dunn> Is there excessive play in the distributor allowing it to rise up and down

Reply to
Jeff Rice

Reply to
Chick

Along the lines of Mark's question, is there any side-side slop in the dist. shaft bushings?

nate

Chick wrote:

Reply to
N8N

ALWAYS suspect the CONDENSER!

Dave Miller BT, DT

Reply to
So. Ga. Cruiser

Inspect that rotor very closely all around the outside AND up inside. Look for the slightest burn mark or a 'trace' that looks like someone drew on it with a lead pencil. Where did these rotors come from?

Reply to
Dwain G.

Chick, the rotor is not supposed to actually touch the terminals in the cap. It IS supposed to come very close, so the spark can jump from the rotor to the terminal in the cap. If the rotor arm is too short, the spark gap will be too long, and the high voltage will seek another path to ground, possibly following a minute crack in the rotor body to the dsitributor shaft. Sometimes, when that happens, you can actually see a carbon track or a minute carbon pinhole in the plastic.

Do check the distributor shft for excess end play, it might shift enough to break a good rotor.

Gord Richmond

Reply to
Gordon Richmond

_______________________ Second that, and I can't believe I'm the first to bring it up this time: investigate "grounding issues"...

Reply to
comatus

It'll be a bad ground.....

So. Ga. Cruiser wrote:

Reply to
Pat Drnec

Did you check to make sure the INSIDE of the rotor (where it sits onto the dist shaft) isn't wallowed out so that it isn't actually turning with the distributor?

Bob (just a thought...and I d> It'll be a bad ground.....

Reply to
Bigbob62

Ahhhh... Youse needs to go to the free dinner for veterans at the Golden Corral (of your choice) tonight. Thinking is much more lucid on a full stomach..

JT

Bigbob62 wrote:

Reply to
Grumpy AuContraire

!?!

Hmmmmm

Well, a rotor is NOT a complicated piece of mechanical engineering. Kin ya find where the electricity stops conducting from center to edge?

That's just weird..

Mark ( I before E, except after C, or as sounded as "A" ... Now that's Weird) Dunning

Reply to
Mark Dunning

OOOOOOOOOOOH!

I like that pissobility!

Mark ( I checked the spelling and decided I liked the typo) Dunning

Reply to
Mark Dunning

Reply to
midlant

I had a rotor fail on my HEI brand X engine at the last 10 miles of a 700 mile trip. The tip came loose and hit the cap. A new rotor fixed it, but it goes to show you that a part can fail any old time. Jeff

Recently I related a story of the same problem in the Dodge I had just

Reply to
Jeff Rice

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