D1 Distributor replacement.

[KAC]

Hello Good Rover People,
While dealing with other motor issues, I want to up grade the distributor in our 95 D1 3.9L. I've ordered a Pertronix D175520 from Ebay, the new distributor has the amplifier attached directly to the distributor body. AB offers the same Pertronix D175520 kit with the amplifier and adapter to connect to the original harness, but it's twice the cost. The existing Lucas dizzy in the D1 has the amplifier mounted near the coil on the radiator support. So my questions are, should I leave the amplifier on the new Pertronix or remove the amplifier attached to the Pertronix and relocate it to the radiator support? I'm assuming I'll need to adapt the wiring to do this. Also, should I replace the existing Lucas coil (silver colored) and if so what should I use?
Thank you, I appreciate the knowledge this forum offers.
Karl
Karl

 

[discostew]

Well..your on the right track replacing that piece of shit Lucas thing they call a distributor. The remote ignition module was developed because the heat of being strapped to the side of the distributor was causing them to fail. So you said you ordered the one already, so go with it. But I want to mention that I have had great success replacing the stock distributor with one made by TRW. But go with what you already bought and yes maybe think about relocating the module, but not untill it causes you some problems.

 

[terryjm1]

Stew, mind sharing the details on the TRW distributor?

 

[discostew]

Sure Terry. About the only CUX stuff I would ever see anymore is in a Defender, something strange going on right now is a few trucks I know eat distributor caps and rotors. I just put the 3rd one on one of them in about 2 years. The first test I do on any crank/no start is check spark coming out of the coil first, then check spark at the plug. I'm never surprised when the coil is kicking ass but the spark never makes it out of the distributor. That's what I see now. I always think about something Sweeny said, if you knew him you would understand how much that means. He said if the cap moves at all while the engine is running, it needs a distributor. I'm pretty sure that's because most of these distributors have been molested by people who don't know how it's built. If you grab the rotor and try to pull it off the distributor shaft without holding down the shaft it will come apart in your hand, damaging the weights and springs in the mechanical advance. That's because it's a 2 piece shaft. The best way to take the rotor off is to break it with a auto center punch right in the center of it.

So also back in the day and working on old classics under warranty the module overheat problem was common. It was a confusing mess because the module would take the coil out. You would put a module relocation kit on a truck and maybe not fix it. So you take that off and put a coil on it/ still no go. Then both the coil and the relocation kit with new module and that fixed it. So you do all that bullshit a couple times and figure out to do them both first, all the time. Then Jonny do it yourself would try to do the relocation kit and end up somehow with 2 modules wired in series and still a no start/ go figure. The module relocation kit comes with a pass thru connector that bolted to the side of the distributor in place of the old module, then wires that went out to the actual module bolted to a bracket with the coil. Away from the heat of the engine.

About 12 years ago or so I started replacing that whole shitty system with a TRW brand distributor. Never had any complaints. And if there was a problem I would have been the second to know, guarantee.

One thing outside of the distributor that will cause a no spark is the engine ECU. It's job during all the joy of running a CUX system is to pulse the ground for the coil. Worth mentioning cause if the ECU isn't pulsing that ground a new TRW distributor won't help.

 

[discostew]

Pretty sure it's this.

1987-1994 Land Rover Range Rover Ignition Distributor - Engine Electrical - Eurospare 87-94 Range Rover Ignition Distributor - 285-08049338 - PartsGeek

Discount auto parts and accessories catalog for all foreign and import cars and trucks. Low Prices, Quality, Service and Free shipping.

www.partsgeek.com

 

[XCELLER8]

my 2 cents..................I bought the pertronix D175510..........same distributor ....but eliminates the problematic amplifier module...8 months now, so far-so-good

 

[terryjm1]

Sure Terry. About the only CUX stuff I would ever see anymore is in a Defender, something strange going on right now is a few trucks I know eat distributor caps and rotors.

This is a problem in TR8 distributors as well.

 

[4Runner]

I’ve am still running a pertronix after at least 5yrs and 90k, I had one module go out and the ground lead inside the distributor broke and turned the engine off. Now I run two of those leads in parallel. I think the failing ground wire probably caused the module to go out. Other than that I have had great luck with those.

 

[Tugela]

+1 for Pertronix. Put one in my RRC to good effect. Although the stock rotor that it came with was not as high quality as I would have hoped. Then again, it's a wear item so worth keeping spares on hand.

 

[KAC]

Thanks Guys, I appreciate your comments! What are your thoughts about the best coil to go along with the new distributor?

 

[4Runner]

I have had the best luck with the stock coils.

 

[Tugela]

Agreed on stock. I put in a Pertronix coil at the same time as the distributor and the engine kept stumbling. Went back to stock and it ran great.

 

[rover4x4]

Pertronix coil and distributor in my basketcase RRC.. I have a fluke distrubutor and the rotor button walks up and this causes the pickup to not get a good signal. When it starts acting up I know what the problem is, took a while to figure that out... So far so good....