76 XJ12 Fuel Injection

What should the distributor shaft "feel like" when you have the dizzy out of the car ? When you hold the dizzy and try to spin the shaft, should it feel really smooth and spin forever ? Or should it feel kind of notchy ? (Ours is kind of notchy, hence the question)

I know this is like trying to describe a paint color over the phone, but it's worth asking the team.....

 

Well, it's been a while since I had a distributor out to mess with.
Electronic or old tech point and condenser.


My LT1 has a totally completely different animal, Optilite. Doged in on the nose of the cam. Well, "hidden".


But, yo9urs is more than a shaft riding on bushings and/or bearings
and thusly able to spin freely.


Vacum can and lever. Springs. Advance weights, redactor and pickup.


But, lube or lack thereof, may be an issue.


To the old adage, "think it out". Function, architecture, logic, purpose, etc. Then, how?


Carl

 

SMOOTH is the norm.

If its notchy there is a problem.

Actual parts for them are basically non-existant.

Lack of lube is the main issue via the small hole in the side. The centre shaft has a spiral machined in it to supposedly "lift" oil into the workings, BUT, with age, crap oil used, and then carbon build up due to the oil used, that spiral does ZERO.

I would be finding a glass jar where the distributor can be sat on the rim (coffe jar is what I use), and the driven gear is not touching teh bottom. Fill that jar with Diesel Fuel, insert the distributor, and let it soak, and that will be for for a day or 2. Rotate the shaft from time to time.

Wash it out with P/pack Carby Cleaner, or simplar, and test that rotation again, probably the same, but "better".

Now to feed some oil in via that hole in the side, and that takes serious patience, and that will make it OK. I have rejuvinated 3 that way over the years.

One other, I dissmantled that shaft, to work on it that way, but that top bearing is a fragile beast, and I could not find one, so dumped the distributor and found another.

Others will have their own ideas, and chime in when time zones align.

 

@Grant

Great info....... we'll get on to that this weekend and will report back

 

As usual......... Grants advice is spot on and priceless.

After an overnight soak submerged in diesel, the dizzy is literally spinning like a top now, so today we will dry it out and get some new oil in there. The advance is also now completely loose.

I suspect if we had not got this advice we would have taken it further apart and would likely be posting "where do you get all these unavailable distributor parts" right now.

Thanks again Grant

 

SOOOOOOOOOO, I have a valid reason for another beer of 3 or 4, agreed???????


Glad there was another simple fix to a simple car.

Anytime big boy.

 

That's automatic every time you post

Maybe the powers that be can be persuaded to change
the thanks button to a tip jar!

 

Went looking at another XJ-S today, DUNNO.

 

Hi Sarc,

I have a 1975 XJ12C and while I wait for a new vacuum advance module to arrive, have decided to treat my distributor to a diesel bath. It doesn't have the same amount of varnish build I see in your picture, but it can't hurt. After this treatment, what did you use for lube. The ROM states " Liberally smear auto advance mechanism with grease previously specified" which is "either Rocol grease No. 30863 or Mobilegrease No.2". Rocol no longer lists that product and neither does Mobile and I am not so sure that Jaguar is the best source as their selection of grease did varnish in this application. Interested to know what you did.....

thanks

John

 

I used Full Synthetic Engine oil dropped very slowly through the hole in the side, with the distributor in a horizontal position, hole facing upwards, and slowly rotating the shaft in the same direction as it does in the engine. That is Anti Clockwise as looked from the top.

It takes time, about 6 stubbies from memory.

 

Thanks for the great detail Grant. I was planning to completely submerge the unit to also get some varnish off the top area of the distributor. Do you recommend staying away from any lube for the advance mechanism up top. Obviously the Jaguar recommended stuff cannot handle the conditions in there....

John

 

Was the shaft completely clean from any rust and varnish?
That will make a difference.

Walter

 

John,

I use a few drops of that same oil of the moving bits. Sparingly up top is the best plan.

I would not soak the whole thing unless all the electrickery stuff is removed.

The main issue is the lower shaft oil feed closely followed by the top shaft/lower shaft area, BUT, the PreHE has very few issues here as compared to the HE.