Engine just died...

[steve_D]

You should go electronic but if you stay with the points you should invest in a dwell meter.
This measures the time the points are opened and closed and is far more accurate than setting the points with feelers. It also compensates for wear in the dizzy to an extent.
When you first use one you will be amazed how wrong you are with feelers.

Steve

[GreenV8S]

Is there any sideways play in the dizzy shaft? This would cause havoc with the timing, routinely smack rotor arms against caps etc.

[sheepy]

OK, so hopefully the final episode in this saga.

Changed the dizzy cap and rotor-arm. Car wouldn't fire.

Went back to the start. Checked the coil: yep, 12v present. Checked the points. What! No spark when they are seperated? Then I noticed that the little nut which holds all of the wiring onto the insulated post was missing. I must have not tightened it up right (), and once it worked loose, the intermittent shorting was what caused the tacho to go haywire and the car to backfire.

Sorted all of that out, put it back to gether and she fired right up.

Drove home without an issue.

Will look into electronic ignition. Does anyone know if I can put it on a +ve earth car?

Sheepy

[SebringMG]

Fairly certain i have seen +ve versions from lumenition and Aldon. GIve them a ring to check though.

[numbnuts]

Ballast resister!

[docevi1]

if you ever have troubles with your B, try www.mgcars.org.uk, especially the BBS and the BBS archive.

Tends to be whenever I have trouble I do a search in the archives and find oodles of answers!