New Rotor Issue

[Steve_KS]

I bought a new rotor as a backup from Mikes. When I tried it out I was surprised to see the contact is about 1/8" too short. I tried it with 3 different distributor bodies and its way to short for all of them.

Is this normal? If so how do you deal with it? Doubtful I could bend it and make up the difference. Where is the better place to get a rotor?
NewRotor.jpg

Old.jpg

OldNEw.jpg

[jwilliams81]

You are supposed to bend the tab so that it is within 0.025" from the contacts.
It's in Les Andrews Red book.

http://modelabasics.com/Ignition.htm

[barkleydave]

It will work... bend away have had to do it with all of mine. Many forget this detail.

[kenparker]

Put a pair of ViseGrips on/over the tab where the rivit is. Clamy securly but gently. Then bend. The Vise Grips will lessen the stress on the rivet and force the bend on the bend in the tab - not the rivet joint. Bend until you have .025 on one of the Body Tits.


Then file the other three Body Tits until you have .025 on all three. If after bending It will not reach the .025 mark - send it back - faulty manufacturing. I have had more than one that were to short. But luckily the last few I have bought -last year - were spot on when bent/corrected. kenp

[Steve_KS]

Thanks for the vice grip tip, I'll give it a go tonight and see if I can get it bent out far enough.

[Tom Wesenberg]

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Throw away the new one from Mike's.
Even the arc is wrong, so you won't maintain the correct spark gap.

I see nothing wrong with your old one.
The ones I bought from Bratton's and Little Dearborn have been perfect.

[kenparker]

I took a closer look at your pictures. Tom is right - follow his advice. kenp

[Richard Lorenz]

I have 2 new rotors that I bought from Snyder's, possibly a couple years ago. They look exactly like the one from Mike's. I am not certain that bending will be enough to close the gap. Fortunately I had an old one like shown in the picture. Installed it and it made a world of difference. Car with a new engine started immediately using my old rotor. Was hard to start when I had the "new" rotor in place.

A few years ago I had a similar overly large gap situation. I soldered a piece of thick brass shim stock onto the top side of the tip of the rotor. That closed the gap to what I wanted.

[Steve_KS]

Thanks for the advice I noticed the contour was different too but I didn't know what correct was. Bending didn't get even close to the contacts so I've contacted Mikes to return it if practical.

[Benson]

Whatever happened to Quality Control?

[DHZIEMAN]

There is a another thread at present discussing kind of why some are not happy with Mac's. Appears this fits too!

[old31]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

Throw away the new one from Mike's.
Even the arc is wrong, so you won't maintain the correct spark gap.

I see nothing wrong with your old one.
The ones I bought from Bratton's and Little Dearborn have been perfect.

Tom, are you also buying the distributor body from Bratt and Little?

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by old31

Tom, are you also buying the distributor body from Bratt and Little?

Yes, that was about 15 years ago, but both outfit's bodies had a perfect fit to the cast iron housing, so there was no slop or shifting of the rotor gap.

[Chuck Sea/Tac]

Originally Posted by DHZIEMAN

There is a another thread at present discussing kind of why some are not happy with Mac's. Appears this fits too!

Mikes- not macs

[katy]

A few years ago I had a similar overly large gap situation. I soldered a piece of thick brass shim stock onto the top side of the tip of the rotor. That closed the gap to what I wanted.

Good idea.

[bobscogin]

Originally Posted by Benson

Whatever happened to Quality Control?

It must be pretty good. Every rotor seems to be built consistently to an incorrect design.

Bob