Ignition amplifier failure - again!

[SLB]

Three years and 6k miles after having to replace the old one with a cheapish one off e-bay it's failed again. This time I was a little more prepared as it started on hot day with a high end misfire. A few days later took it out and it felt a bit sick not idling normally and not revving that well. After a couple of short trips in hot weather and gradually getting worse it let me down again at exactly the same set of traffic lights. This time I let it cool down and raced back the mile or so it was back to home.

So this time I bought the Lucas DAB118 relocating kit off e-bay which relocates it away from the hot distributor to under the coil. Immediately the car was transformed feeling more powerful with a bit less popping and banging so feels like the old one had been on the way out for a while. I expect this mod to be a more permanent fix, but if anyone else tries it just be aware that the fitting instructions are slightly wrong as the black and white wire is still required to be connected to the negative side of the coil.

[mrzigazaga]

Thanks for the heads up...Glad you have sorted yours...Ziga

[adam quantrill]

Did you have heatsink paste under it?

[SLB]

adam quantrill said:

Did you have heatsink paste under it?

No paste as I hadn't read that post at the time, but I had made sure it was all clean with a good connection. With hindsight what probably hasn't helped is that I've a had long running niggly drip from the swan neck cap which got the amp wet on occasions. I also made the change from the two pin to three pin amp and the adpator wire wasn't properly heatshrinked so wet got into the amp connections. Also going through a couple of big puddles got it wet and started a misfire. All in all a recipe for a hard life for the amp and a maybe a premature death.

[ukdj]

This stuff is better than the usual white goo the amp comes with - also has the 2 stage surface cleaner/purifier to make sure both surfaces are free from contaminates.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Arctic-Silver-Paste-Articl...

[adam quantrill]

SLB said:

No paste ..niggly drip .. change from the two pin to three pin amp and the adpator wire wasn't properly heatshrinked ..got it wet and started a misfire.

Hmmm - you could have run over it a few times to make sure!!!

[SLB]

adam quantrill said:

Hmmm - you could have run over it a few times to make sure!!!

True, but after two changes of swan neck cap rubber and a wet winter this might be a warning to others. Had a nice run to. work today down the M4 and popping and banging doesn't seem to have diminished after all.