So I am moving along with my new project and removed the distributor cap and wires which appear to be original form 1985 so they will be replaced.

I checked the centrifugal advance on the CEI distributor and it appears to be working. I rotate the rotor counter clockwise and it snaps back into place.

My question is would it be wise to just go ahead and remove the unit and refresh it like the Kirby says in the book?

While they say it is an easy job in the book it sounds a bit sketchy to me and not very clear. It also seems like you could damage some pieces that I have no idea if you could find.

Is there a source that rebuilds these units?

 

Opinions will vary. If the rotor snaps back smartly you're good to go. A couple drops of oil down the center of the shaft once a year will keep things moving. I'd say "leave it alone".

Don't forget to check the *vacuum* advance while you're rooting around in there :-)

Cheers
DD

 

That sounds like good distributor movement to me. If it moves back smartly as you say it is good. Personally I wouldn't mess with it, other than lubricating as DD suggests.

You can test the vacuum advance for movement by sucking on the hose. Once everything is back together, put a "T" in the vacuum line to the advance and check the vacuum with the engine running. If your car has a vacuum regulator (which I thnk
an '85 does?) it will read about 10" at idle. Rev the engine to about 3000 RPM and it should read about 15". If it reads zero at idle and doesn't respond to changes in throttle, you've got something wrong.

Cheers,

- Will
Cheers,

Will

 

on a side note, ive got a lucas distributor if someone wants a spare.

new cap, new rotor, new advance.

 

Vacuum advance is working all seems well. In the book they make this sound like it is positively an issue, but in my situation it appears not to he the case. The things loins as if it has never been touched either which is strange. You would think it would be stuck for sure. The does only have 40k miles so maybe it is heat over time that does it and not just time itself.

 

Loins that have never been touched certainly are unusual these days!

 

I thought we where dealing with cats not lions LOL

Right it may be in some ways this is an advantage that no one seems to have touched the car. Of coarse it needs some maintenance but its not buggered up as the English would say..

 

M90.......Sent you a PM

 

Still have it