Servicing the Ignition Distributor

Mention has already been made, in Chapter 3, of the somewhat inaccessible ignition distributor. There is everything to be said for removing either the front grille, to provide reasonable access to the contact-breaker mechanism, or detaching the distributor itself and carrying out the work on the bench, as described in Chapter 7. The trouble will be well worthwhile, in view of the vital importance of the contact-breaker points, which can affect the whole range of performance of the engine—a fact that receives far too little emphasis in manufacturers' instruction books, which tend to dismiss the question of cleaning and setting the contact-breaker points in a couple of short paragraphs. If time is limited, it is better to leave well alone until it is possible to carry out a thorough check, as described in Chapter 7. Never try to measure and adjust the gap without first truing-up the points.