Broken rotor on crab distributor

[BUBBAS IGNITION]

Originally Posted by FlatheadTed

If I get a bunch of distributors to do I roller out in the sun and go for it, nothing like checking things at high RPM . Ted

Holey shit Ted that thing was on the Ark ???

Looks like it does a good job !! What brand is it ? Looks like a Marquet ?? Use one of those when i taught at Lincoln Tech.....

I use a Allen Syncograph ( worked at Allen doing Ignition for 8 years) these were the last of the distributor machines as we know it.
Has everything built in does points, electronics and modules testing as well.

This one has a few Bubba mods to it .... My flathead adapter is indexed to confirm case timing like the old set up tools did....Been pretty lucky i think i own four of these and a Sun 500........

[FlatheadTed]

Bubba it a a Vane ,does the job ok with a bit of Native cunning added in ,Volts , RPM , Vacuum & Dwell , Advance , and timing strobe light,Ted

[koates]

VANE range of tune up and automotive test equipment was made in Australia for many years and was very well made. Ted, I have one of those distributer testers like yours but the case is a little longer so maybe a later model ? Did you have an instruction book for yours ? I am missing one for mine. Regards, Kevin.

[34pickup]

OK, I am open to new ideas. I put new bushings in the distributor thanks to VanPelt sales, he has everything. I put new rotor in it, sanded off a tad from the tip like Bubba does, took out the points so there is no drag and it spun around freely. Nothing hits. I put it all back together, timed it like the instructions on the VanPelt web site, set the points at .015, new condenser, new coil, still not getting spark to the plugs. I get spark coming out of the coil and getting 6 volts going to the dist out of the coil but no spark at the plugs. That tells me that its getting into the distributor but not coming out, so rotor again? I pulled the cap, and it is not broken (so far, knock on wood). I had thoughts of putting an OHV engine in there, this flathead is not a pleasure to work on.

[34pickup]

So... for no apparent reason, when I went back out and tried it again, I get spark and got it to run for a few seconds before it died. Now I have to work out the carburetor problem. Maybe its just messing with me.☺ But now that I know it runs, I have to work out the bugs. Thanks for everyone's help in advising me about flathead ignition, especially Van Pelt, Bubba, Flathead Ted and Charlie. Can't say that I prefer it over the later stuff, but now I have a vague idea which is more than I had before.

[Phil Gillespie]

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Originally Posted by 34pickup

So... for no apparent reason, when I went back out and tried it again, I get spark and got it to run for a few seconds before it died. Now I have to work out the carburetor problem. Maybe its just messing with me.☺ But now that I know it runs, I have to work out the bugs. Thanks for everyone's help in advising me about flathead ignition, especially Van Pelt, Bubba, Flathead Ted and Charlie. Can't say that I prefer it over the later stuff, but now I have a vague idea which is more than I had before.

Trust me. It will grow on you especially if left at 6v set up. And you will learn patience and the fact that tomorrow is another day.
Phil NZ

[FlatheadTed]

It sounds like you have spark but you can bench test it by having a ground wire from the battery to the body of the distributor, say around the condenser to ,to ground that as well ,set up a stiff wire from the vacuum advance bolt to 3/8 from centre of the rotor and spin it by hand and you should get a healthy spark to jump the gap, You could use the fork from a brake shoe adjuster link from a 35 to 38 or a corolla drum brake in your drill and spin it also .Try and squirt / dribble some gas down the carb ,see if it keeps running .Ted

[FlatheadTed]

Koats I don't have a instruction manual ,If I fine one Ill let you know ,

Originally Posted by koates

VANE range of tune up and automotive test equipment was made in Australia for many years and was very well made. Ted, I have one of those distributer testers like yours but the case is a little longer so maybe a later model ? Did you have an instruction book for yours ? I am missing one for mine. Regards, Kevin.