Late(ish) 3500 Series 1 distributor spec

S

smudger

Member
I have a March 1970 registered 3500 - standard UK spec - 425 engine. The distributor body is stamped 41278 and date stamped 37 69. It has the earlier vacuum advance with the pipe connection running straight out the end of the unit rather than off to the side. So far as expected as per the parts book...
However, internally the points are the Lucas CS17/Rover GCS117 type with the correct associated baseplate and layout of other distributor internals which according to the parts book should not be inside this distributor but rather should be fitted to later distributors on 451 engines.
I would like to know if anyone with a similar-aged Series 1, or indeed early Series 2, has this same set up if they were able to have a look when convenient and let me know please.
I'm hoping to have the distributor professionally reconditioned but I need to check it is all original and not a mongrel which will totally confuse the issue.
Thanks,
Simon
 
My guess is that sometime during the 53 years that the car has been alive the later baseplate and points have been fitted, AFAIK your car should have the tiny early points, but TBH the later larger points are better.
 
On the matter of distributer reconditioning, I have had the Distributer Doctor rebuild a Single carb version to twin carb spec. for my 2200 TC, so I suggest you could have it rebuilt to whatever you want.
 
Thanks fellas. The Distributor Doctor is where I was planning on going. My thoughts now are about the centrifugal advance springs which are listed as different part numbers for the early and late distributors although the actual weights are the same. I guess if reconditioning then the original spec springs should be used relative to the engine spec, rather than the later ones which would match the later baseplate/points set up now fitted?
The background to wanting to overhaul the distributor is that I cannot stop the car from pinking at anything other than setting the timing to TDC or maybe 1 deg BTDC at a push. That is despite using 99 octane E5 and using Castrol Valvemaster Plus which with its extra 2 octane points should be effectively giving 101 Octane fuel.
So my thoughts fell to the distributor and maybe it is over-advancing the timing with its old and tired advance springs or maybe a sticky vacuum advance which is not returning smartly enough. It works ok enough on the suck test but that isn't really the same as road conditions.
At anything above 1 deg BTDC the car will pink at even quite light throttle openings but it can be quite variable. For example, it will pink at one point on a journey and then maybe 10 minutes later not do it under the same driving circumstances, only to do it again yet later on. Which points me towards something variable, rather than the timing setting itself...
Anything I can rule out will be a step in the right direction....
 
My Series One Land Rover was pinking when the static timing was set per the book. It was over advancing due to week springs which were all rectified by sending it to the Distributer doctor. It came back with an advance curve on a graph showing it relative to the original design tolerance .
You could try running yours without the vacuum advance connected to see if that improves things.
 
That will be the next test I guess... For now I'm leaving it set at TDC and just going to enjoy driving it without the dreaded pinking. I can't really say it feels sluggish to drive set at TDC anyway. Next time I'm in the mood for it I'll disconnect the vacuum advance and work through the degrees of advance from 6BTDC back to TDC just to see what happens.
 
Electronic ignition?
I put Lumenition on our August 1970. Series 1 3500 in 1976 and would not go back to points.
There are now Elec Ignit units that fit inside the cap without the need for external components.
 
I've got transistor electronic fitted. Where the points are retained but just working as a switch to fire the transistor, rather than passing the heavy spark current.
Obviously the heel still wears on the cam but the points don't pit or pile and are allegedly good for 25,000 miles. 10 years or so at current usage.
I think now the baseplate hasn't been changed, it just has the later points fitted...
That's a simpler question, are the later larger points interchangeable with the early tiny points?
 
Larger points will only fit to the later baseplate, AFAIK they aren't a direct replacement for the early small points.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top