Thread: 87 RR Distributor problem

Originally Posted by PeterAllen

My dizzy wont create a spark at the coil when its' in the engine but will if I take it out of the engine block. Anyone know how it can lose charge in the engine. I have replaced the pickup and its the dizzy without the amplifier ( amplifier is under coil ).
Any ideas as I am reluctant to get another distributor and face the same problems.

Sounds like something is earthing out in the dizzy. When it is out of the motor, no earth so sends the spark to the coil. Are you sure that there is no short in the wiring to the coil or in the dizzy itself? Bob

Hi Bob,
Yes it is shorting out when I put the dizzy back in the motor, from the construction of the dizzy I can't work out how that can happen.
All other wiring seems ok. I have changed the coil and the amplifier on previous efforts and then traced the short to the dizzy.
Thought it was the pickup so changed it as well. Given the system sparks only when dizzy is not in place in the engine it seems logical that the earth fault is in the distributor itself. But RR's often devy logic at least my version of logic.
Regards

Originally Posted by PeterAllen

Hi Bob,
Yes it is shorting out when I put the dizzy back in the motor, from the construction of the dizzy I can't work out how that can happen.
All other wiring seems ok. I have changed the coil and the amplifier on previous efforts and then traced the short to the dizzy.
Thought it was the pickup so changed it as well. Given the system sparks only when dizzy is not in place in the engine it seems logical that the earth fault is in the distributor itself. But RR's often devy logic at least my version of logic.
Regards

Not being an auto elec, I would think that there may be some play in the shaft or an insulator cracked or missing. Maybe a trip to a good auto elece may solve the problem.

Bob

Thanks Bob,

Check that dipstick is not shorting out distributor. Good luck and regards James C