What distributor?

[ssc1]

Can anyone tell me what distributor is fitted to the 350i 86 model?

And how much sideplay is allowed, as the rotor arm is catching and breaking up, unless i've got the wrong rotor arm fitted.

But there is sideplay on the distributor and would rimmers be the best place to get one?

[wedg1e]

If it has an ignition amp on the side of the distributor, it's a 35DLM8. If the amp is under the coil, IIRC it's 35DL8... but Rimmers would certainly be able to advise, and they do sell them (for a fee). You could try Ebay, there were three on there last week, one of which I was watching but forgot about. It went for £26 I think

Ian

[ssc1]

its a 35dlm8 with the amp on the side of the dis body, and rimmers quote £445 for this baby or they do one with an r at the end of thier part number so i guess thats recon, its just that i went for a run today and the beast broke down and the rotor arm had broke up , its a new one as well and it had caught on the cap segments so i asumed that there was a bit too much side play allowing the rotor arm to move about too much, there is about 10thou side play at the top but the bottom of the dis is sound, anyway thanks for the help ian......ian

[wedg1e]

Hmmm... 10 thou is only quarter of a millimetre. The rotor arm normally clears the segments by more than this (most people don't realise that the HT actually has TWO spark gaps to jump - the other being the plugs of course).
I wonder if you're right about it being the wrong rotor arm...
I presume the cap is correct type and fitted correctly? I know there are more than one type; my mate a few years back got the wrong one for his 400SE and it wouldn't start. The arm wasn't contacting the carbon brush, in his case.

Ian

[streaky]

ssc1 said:

its a 35dlm8 with the amp on the side of the dis body, and rimmers quote £445 for this baby ...

Almost cheaper to buy a recon engine!

[ssc1]

right i have the blue rotor cap which is the right one and the rotor from halfords as they say this is the right one for the rv8 as fitted to the vittesse, and it was the same as the one that had come off although that one had been hitting the cap segments as well. arnt all rover v8 efi engines the same for that year ie 1986 ....and the wedge pages quote lucas part no drb195c....as or the side play i thought any play was not good ,or if you read RPI engineerins website on rover v8 engines no play at all, so you recon a bit of play is ok, as its a lot to pay for a new dizzy......ian..

[wedg1e]

Obviously any radial play is not a funky thing, question is how to determine whether that is the sole cause of the problem - although it does sound likely if you're sure the cap and rotor are correct. Could be the play is worse once running...

Might be possible to find a friendly machine shop to rebush the dis. housing to suit the shaft... even a couple of hours labour would be cheaper than a new one!

Ian