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| Joined: | 03-12-2005 |
| Location: | Kingman, Arizona USA |
| Posts: | 532 |
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The two blades on the distributor's drive dog are offset slightly from the centerline, so in theory the distributor can only be installed one way. However, a fair number of owners have proven that brute force and worn parts will easily override theory. One needs to develop a feel for how the distributor fits into the engine, and this can only be achieved by practice. You may find that developing this feel is easier if you remove the spring that fits into the shaft that drives the distributor. Just be absolutely certain to return the spring when you're done!
Do not guess as to the points gap, as it is a critical setting. The gap must be at least 0.014" but not greater than 0.016". If the gap gets too far past either limit, the engine will run poorly or not at all. Normally one uses a feeler gauge to set the gap, and that's one of those touch-based skills one needs to practice.
Make sure the car's battery is fully charged. Disconnect the cable connected to the battery's (-) post, then make sure all the remaining battery cable connections are clean, tight, and free of corrosion. This includes the two big nuts on the starter solenoid, which is the moderately-sized cylinder atop the starter motor itself. Make sure the braided cable running from engine block to chassis, located below the oil filter and alternator, is present. Once satisfied, reconnect the cable that goes to the battery's (-) post.
If a Lucas starter won't turn over, it may be worn out but most likely the starter solenoid has jammed. This is quite common. Give the solenoid a few decent whacks with a non-conductive mallet, and things will usually free up. If not, the starter may need to be removed, disassembled, and cleaned. This is not as complex as you may think, but probably isn't necessary as long as whacking the solenoid works for you. If the starter is worn out, it can be rebuilt or replaced. There's also a high-speed aftermarket starter available; these are fairly expensive but seem to work quite well.
Avoid having the starter motor crank the engine for more than 30 seconds at a time, and if it does run that long, give it 5 minutes to cool down. Otherwise, the motor may overheat and eventually burn out.
If your ignition timing is hopelessly off, you'll need to re-set it. This is a slightly tedious task but isn't particularly difficult, and many owners have had to do it. Once the starter works reliably, set the engine to #1 TDC -- i.e. the indexes on the crankshaft and front cover, and on the two cam gears, are aligned as described in an earlier post.
Now, unsnap the distributor cap and pull it off the distributor. Set the static timing as described in an earlier posting. This is where the points just open -- and your test light just comes on -- as the distributor body is rotated COUNTER-clockwise as viewed from the front of the car. This is equivalent to the distributor's shaft moving in the correct direction during normal engine operation.
Next, remove the four spark plug wires from the distributor cap. Manually trace out the one that goes to the #1 (front) cylinder and insert this wire in the distributor cap turret to which the rotor will be pointing, once the cap is reinstalled. (If the rotor is not pointing to a turret, then you've done the static timing wrong; go back and try again.)
Then, moving COUNTER-clockwise while looking at the top (outside) of the cap, install the wire going to the #3 (next to rear) plug. Still going COUNTER-clockwise, install the wire going to the #4 (rear) plug, and finally the one going to the #2 (next to front) plug. Double-check these connections. This arranges the spark plug wires so that each cylinder will receive its spark at the correct time. This is called the engine's firing order, and is normally described as '1-3-4-2'.
Now reinstall the distributor cap. Make sure all the wires and hoses, except the vacuum hose to the distributor, are connected. Start the engine and set the timing with a timing light. Finally, reinstall the vacuum hose to the distributor.
If the car still won't start, make sure you have (a) spark, (b) fuel to the carburetors, and (c) compression in each cylinder.
You mentioned a Texas rain dance. Are you in Texas? If you'll add your city and state to your profile, you may find that there are JH owners close enough to offer physical assistance, or who can advise on trustworthy mechanics for British cars.