distributor innards question

[Deschodt]

Dumb question... On my 72T, which coincidentally runs like crap, I've noticed some play where I don't think there should be any. But I don't know...

Inside the distributor, just under the rotor, there is a plate on which the points are mounted. That whole metal plate / disc has play, in that you can rotate it slightly back and forth inside the distributor body. Not a huge amount, but I can make it click like you would test a loose valve adjustment..That doesn't seem normal to me, my 912 doesn't do that, the plate is solidly bolted on the body of the distributor... I would think that would make ignition timing somewhat crappy, but I don't know anything about 1972 distributors.... Right ? Wrong ? Video below !

Thanks !

http://youtu.be/y9MCVQPrEjQ

[Flat6pac]

If you notice, there is a small ball bearing keeping resistance to the plate and there is an attachment from the pod near the ball bearing. There is suposed to be play there for retard at idle. The connecting hose has vacuum at idle which is drawn from below the butterflys to draw the retard and neet emissions.
Bruce

[Deschodt]

Ah, thanks, didn't realize the whole plate was doing the timing retard... Well there goes that idea, back to fixing the fuel distributor then !

[E Sully]

If you want to give the distributor a closer look.
Distributor Maintenance

[daepp]

Fuel distributor? On a 72?

[Flieger]

Originally Posted by DAEpperson

Fuel distributor? On a 72?

Ignition distributor

[E Sully]

MFI engine.

[Deschodt]

Originally Posted by E Sully

MFI engine.

What he said ! Not sure about nomenclature... MFI engine, fuel injection pump if you wanna call it that... Big hunk of metal more complex inside than a swiss watch and that refuses to adjust properly and push the correct amount of fuel to each injector... ;-)

[daepp]

Originally Posted by DAEpperson

Fuel distributor? On a 72?

My bad - I must have misread the post.