Dizzy cap and rotar arm damage

[Chris Hebden]

Just had the cap and rotar arm off my car to check and adjust the tappets and found alot of damage had occured to the rotar arm and a white substance had gathered on the cap. What could have caused this? The cap and arm were both fine when i fitted them, just before i started the car for the first time the other week

Cheers Chris

[Andrew Cooke]

don't know about the white stuff, but the marks on the terminals suggest that you need to sort your dizzy timing out. They should be more central.

[Andrew Cooke]

are you a spline out on the dizzy drive?

[paul b]

the white stuff is like a powdered smoke, this comes off the spark as it jumps between the rotor and cap electrode.....usually not seen that much though.....

it could have been damp and was using that to arc across

[Chris Hebden]

are you a spline out on the dizzy drive?

Not according to the Haynes. Attached are pics of what the dizzy drive looks like and what the rotar arm looks like in place

[TrixNFlix]

Does that not need to go anticlockwise by one spline? Like andrew suggested I think it's slightly out.

[Chris Hebden]

Pics of the adjusted dizzy drive. First pick is one tooth anticlockwise, second pic is 1 tooth clockwise and the third is the dizzy drive turned 180. With the dizzy drive in the 3rd location it lines up with the dizzy cap a bit better

[Andrew Cooke]

I'm working from memory, I'd say the last pic looks right.

[Chris Hebden]

I have to admit that it "fits" the cap alot better in the 3rd pic, but that would make the plug lead for one go at 12 o clock which goes against all the pics i have looked at today of other peoples lead locations

edit: it seems to run alot better in the 3rd location also

[Andrew Cooke]

the only reference I have is the Twingo, it's a C series engine, so valid. I agree, the leads should be as the picture you posted.

so, maybe you need to spin the engine 360 degrees, and refit the drive as per the manual.

[Chris Hebden]

Cheers Andrew, it seems to be running ok now i'll leave it 180 and see what its like when i get the car set up correctly

[TrixNFlix]

The third pic looks like it lines up the rotar arm and cap perfectly.:agree:

[Andrew Cooke]

The third pic looks like it lines up the rotar arm and cap perfectly.:agree:

I'm not so sure, I think Chris may end up having to swing the dizzy to get it right. If you read through the R11T group A documentation you'll see it described.

[Chris Hebden]

Thanks for the help gents, it "looks" to align perfectly but that doesnt mean anything until the timing light gets used i guess! Andrew, do you mean turning the dizzy 180 and manually adjusting? If so then yea i agree with you, this might be needed!

[Andrew Cooke]

Thanks for the help gents, it "looks" to align perfectly but that doesnt mean anything until the timing light gets used i guess! Andrew, do you mean turning the dizzy 180 and manually adjusting? If so then yea i agree with you, this might be needed!

no, I mean moving it 10 deg, of whatever is needed to get it right.

[Chris Hebden]

no, I mean moving it 10 deg, of whatever is needed to get it right.

Oh, i'll have to read the 11T cup manual in that case, is it on the site?