|
distributor cap fouled???
today i pulled my msd distributor cap off. i did so to try to track an idle problem ive been having. i looked at the inside of the cap and found that the contacts were pretty badly corroded. the posts were covered with a greenish/copper pitting. ast was the rotor.. its fairly new, only 1000 k. i imagine this is not normal. can i just clean them? what caused this???
thanks .. ken |
Fairly common. Main issue is the vent (or lack thereof) is blocked. Some caps dont have a vent, they NEED one.
|
should i clean the posts? theyre pretty pitted. or replace cap. this condition would cause bad performance right??
|
You could try to clean the contacts but I would replace the cap AND the rotor.
The cause is corrosion due to moisture. |
i cleaned the posts, couldn't get behind them very well. there was a slight sign of moisture in the cap. i'll take it for a test spin.
|
You need to make sure that the polarity of your distributer is correct. MSD has had problems in the past with their distributers being wired backwards. If the phasing is incorrect the spark will fire between the terminal posts. This will chew up the inside of the cap becouse of the excessive voltage required to make the jump.
The easy way to check is to bring your engine up to the timing mark. Probably around 12 degrees BTDC. Remove your distributer cap and see where the rotor is pointing. The rotor should be pointing very close to the terminal it should be firing at. If not you have found your problem and will need to revese the wires on distributer or spark box. You will also need to retime your engine. Hope this helps. |
thanks for the help guys. Tom thanks for that interesting tip. i will check that tomorrow...
|
Ken,
I had the same problem. I assume you have an MSD brand cap. I had two MSD caps foul up as you described. I replaced the MSD brand with a generic brand from the local auto parts place and have not had a problem since. Don't know what the problem is with the MSD caps, but another Cobra owner I know had the same issue and resolution. |
I recently replaced my Accel cap & rotor, looked at others including the MSD and wasn't impressed with any others at all...aluminum contacts instead of brass??? I put in another Accel.
Dan |
| All times are GMT -7. The time now is 12:50 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.0
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0
The representations expressed are the representations and opinions of the clubcobra.com forum members and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and viewpoints of the site owners, moderators, Shelby American, any other replica manufacturer, Ford Motor Company. This website has been planned and developed by clubcobra.com and its forum members and should not be construed as being endorsed by Ford Motor Company, or Shelby American or any other manufacturer unless expressly noted by that entity. "Cobra" and the Cobra logo are registered trademarks for Ford Motor Co., Inc. clubcobra.com forum members agree not to post any copyrighted material unless the copyrighted material is owned by you. Although we do not and cannot review the messages posted and are not responsible for the content of any of these messages, we reserve the right to delete any message for any reason whatsoever. You remain solely responsible for the content of your messages, and you agree to indemnify and hold us harmless with respect to any claim based upon transmission of your message(s). Thank you for visiting clubcobra.com. For full policy documentation refer to the following link: