Thread: Distributor question

Originally Posted by 1950landy

Will it keep running with a little more throttle if so why not screw the idel screw in a little to bring the revs up. or pull the hand throttle out a little.then you should be able to get around to the distributer to adjust the timing .

Ahhh forgot about the hand throttle....I haven’t been able to get to the slow idle screw

I will post up some photo's out James Taylor's book Original Land Rover Series 1 Most of the photo's show the distributer as mine is but there is a photo of a 1955 2lit with the distributer leads different. Have tried to tried to get the photo's tonight but with the flash reflection you can't see the photo's.

These photo's from the two books I have may make things more confusing but the way the leads are may be how the owners have set up there distributors .


1948 80" 1.6lit 20200131_064151 (1).jpg 1950 1.6 80" 1.6lit 20200131_065121.jpg 1953 80" 2lit 20200131_065412.jpg 86" 2lit 20200131_072552.jpg 1955 86" 2lit 20200131_072623.jpg

88" 2lit 20200131_072715.jpg The 1st three photo's are the same as my 1950 80" .I am not sure if the last 3 vehicles the leads should come out the towards the guards but the orientation would depend on how the dist drive was fitted in the motor. I hope that has not confused the issue but that is all that I have.

Originally Posted by 1950landy

These photo's from the two books I have may make things more confusing but the way the leads are may be how the owners have set up there distributors .


1948 80" 1.6lit 20200131_064151 (1).jpg 1950 1.6 80" 1.6lit 20200131_065121.jpg 1953 80" 2lit 20200131_065412.jpg 86" 2lit 20200131_072552.jpg 1955 86" 2lit 20200131_072623.jpg

88" 2lit 20200131_072715.jpg The 1st three photo's are the same as my 1950 80" .I am not sure if the last 3 vehicles the leads should come out the towards the guards but the orientation would depend on how the dist drive was fitted in the motor. I hope that has not confused the issue but that is all that I have.

Up and running now seems the dizzy is out but re routing the spark leads solved the issue

Now on a connected issue ...with the old copper caskets[ new one]should the head bolts be re tourque’d after a cetrtain amount of miles? And are the tappets set hot or cold, manual gives the same spec for both
Cheers mark

Yes the head should be tourque'd usually after about a couple of hundred k's & should be done hot . The exhaust valves are a little hard to do hot so I would do them cold but so the feeler gauge slides fhrough easy. The valves are better being a little loose than tight .

Originally Posted by 1950landy

I will post up some photo's out James Taylor's book Original Land Rover Series 1 Most of the photo's show the distributer as mine is but there is a photo of a 1955 2lit with the distributer leads different. Have tried to tried to get the photo's tonight but with the flash reflection you can't see the photo's.

1950landy,

Believe it or not there are left and right hand side exit caps for Lucas DM2/25D distributors. The leads can face in or out in relation to the low tension terminal block to suit different vehicle applictions. The outward facing cap fitted to the Landy in the pictures is designed to fit some other British car from the 50's or 60's.
So be careful when you order a dizzie cap. - 5380