Dodgy rotor arms

[richard at home]

I have a 1948 Austin 16, 2.2l 4 cylinder.

It's just eaten it's second rotor arm in under 100 miles!

By eaten I mean that the rotor arm goes short circuit (to HV) from the rotor to the metal clip that holds it onto the distributor shaft.


For some reason new rotor arms appear to be made of a very poor plastic that allows HV to eat through in exactly the way you don't want it to...

Might just as well make them in metal or just sell empty boxes...

Anyway, any ideas on where to buy a real rotor arm these days? Are Remax any good? www.gsparkplug.com sell this brand.

[Yertis]

Martin at Distributor Doctor is your man. distributordoctor.com

[GT6 Jonsey]

Yertis said:

Martin at Distributor Doctor is your man. distributordoctor.com

+1 Martin is the man, his series red rotor arms are the only ones I fit to my cars for trouble free motoring

[david.h]

Remax were pretty good...made in the 30's & 40's mostly. definitely NOT made in the Orient. They did rationalise some pattern parts. They may have ended up in Quinton Hazell I think.

[richard at home]

OK, thanks for the replies!

I have ordered a Remax from Green Spark Plug and I am waiting for a quote from Distributor doctor as you can't buy online from him.

(bit of a pain as I'd like to use the car tomorrow!)

[Yertis]

richard at home said:

OK, thanks for the replies!

I have ordered a Remax from Green Spark Plug and I am waiting for a quote from Distributor doctor as you can't buy online from him.

(bit of a pain as I'd like to use the car tomorrow!)

I know Martin quite well so I'll mention that. I think he likes to talk to customers as nailing down which specific distributor you have isn't always straightforward.

[richard at home]

Yertis said:

richard at home said:

OK, thanks for the replies!

I have ordered a Remax from Green Spark Plug and I am waiting for a quote from Distributor doctor as you can't buy online from him.

(bit of a pain as I'd like to use the car tomorrow!)

I know Martin quite well so I'll mention that. I think he likes to talk to customers as nailing down which specific distributor you have isn't always straightforward.

Yes, fair enough. I got his quote today.

I guess with some more obscure cars that may be a problem but the DKY4A distributor is quite a common one.

[paintman]

Rover V8 also doesn't like pattern rotor arms & using one that has the metal strip riveted to the arm is just asking for trouble.

[richard at home]

Got two new rotor arms from Green Spark, made by Remax.

Tech support at Green Spark assure me that these are not the dodgy arms, but they look identical to the one that failed and have the rivet in.

I'm not expecting them to last long...

Distributor Doctor's cost more than double, but if they work, then it's a no brainer...

[Yertis]

Let us know how you get on

[richard at home]

This is what they look like when they fail:





Going for a short run this evening, so wish me luck....

[RicksAlfas]

Do you think he's made it back yet?

[v8250]

RicksAlfas said:

Do you think he's made it back yet?

Apparently not. Unless he's on an extended test drive...

[GT6 Jonsey]

The distributor doctor ignition bits are a bit more money, but they are fit and forget ( about being left at the side of the road ) think he even has the rotor arms inner diameter made a knats wisker smaller so that they fit the top of the distributor with no slack play and a reassuring clunk