Distributor shorts with wireless pigtail

nkcarizona

nkcarizona

Member
I have a problem with the modern points with wireless pigtail that I have installed in my 29 Fordor. The arm on the points works itself up the post bringing the connector that contacts the wireless lower plate up with it. After a short drive the arm works up far enough that the connector shorts out on the upper plate, and I'm dead in the water.

Has anyone else had this problem? I know I could go to the setup with a wire pigtail rather than the wireless pigtail, but would like to make this work if I can.
 
I have no advice, but I have plenty of sympathy. I run an original "pigtail" distributor. En route to our first parade after a repaint, the engine quit when I advanced the spark anti-clockwise past 9:30 (apologies to you engineers... I think of the spark quadrant as a clock face). My 10 minute fix (with extension cord wire) has lasted 10 years. I now carry a repro pigtail with all of the tiny strands as a back-up, but I'm curious to see how long my hardware store fix will last.
 
We just had a distributor seminar with members of our club. I had an older wireless lower plate kit and when I hooked up the piece that rides on the lower plate it was hitting the upper plate. I had to notch out the upper plate so that there was room to have this piece not short out. They have modified the new ones so that it clears, Good luck with your problem.

Jerry
 
I would much rather have a properly rebuilt original dist than a so-called(improved) one.The original points are easier to adjust and if you use a fine strand silicone covered wire under the breaker plate,it will last for 1,000 s of miles.
 
I also would only use original style points, plates and wire.

I did a wireless plate for a guy that wanted it and I also had to grind a clearance notch in the top plate for the strap.
 
My plate has the clearance notch in it. The problem is that the cantilevered arm that holds the points rides up the post it is mounted on and brings the strap that connects to the bottom plate up to contact the upper plate. Maybe another set of points would not allow the arm to ride up. Or I go to a pigtail. Need to get another lower plate for that.
 
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