Following on from some recent threads, there's a strong possibility that the weights in my xflo distributor may be seized up with gunge (will tickover, but coughs and bangs when accelerator pushed).

Question is, is there any way of checking that the weights are free without taking the dizzy out and stripping it? Are there any holes I can poke a screwdriver through to move things?

rgds,

David

Check the timing using a strobe, with the vacuum disconected. If the advance is working you will be able to see the marks move when the engine is revved.
Paul.

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Originally posted by David Jenkins

Question is, is there any way of checking that the weights are free without taking the dizzy out and stripping it? Are there any holes I can poke a screwdriver through to move things?

rgds,

David

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Dave
If you turn the rotor arm back and forth it will have some play in it and you could feel some springing
If it does not then its seized

I am not an Ignition expert but I would not think that this would cause a misfire
as even with the timing way out the engine will still rev, I know this for a fact as I have been timing my xlfow yesterday

are you sure all of the leads are on correctly ??
as to me it sounds like two leads are not in the right place
so on idle you are running on two cylinders

regards

steve

I once had a breakdown on a Fiat 126, it would tick over perfectly at 600rpm, you could increase the revs to 1000rpm, but after that it would cough and stall. The car had been laid up for 3 months prior to the breakdown and siezed weigths were the culprit.

As the engine speed increses, the burn in the combustion chamber need to be advanced so the full potential of the burn occurs at (or just after) TDC. As the rpm increases, this needs to be advanced proportionally (expotentially). If you have no advance, the burn occures ages after TDC and gives very little effect as the pressure is much less in the chamber due to the increasing volume.

Paul is right, the strobe will show no movement as you try and increase the revs if the weights are siezed. It is a quick job to do, and probably a good idea to lubricate the weights with WD40 (nothing heavier as it will promote gumming up) on any dizzy which has been standing around for a while.

Free up with a light penetrating oil by oil means but the correct grade to lubricate with is 20w/50 -- a very tiny ammount

Try turning distributor in block a few degrees in the direction that the vacuum advance pulls base plate , start engine and see if things have improved,if so you may have sticking advance weights which will not advance timing when needed possibly causing coughs and bangs. Rusty

Looks like it's playtime tomorrow!

Thanks to all...

David