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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Aldon Ignitor (Pertronix) Testing

Well after a good blast up the motorway the car cut out at traffic lights - so I thought petrol evaporation etc so pushed it to side of road and it fired up.
A mile or so further on it just died - dead and no I didn't notice the rev counter !

After checking fuel delivery was O.K I checked for sparks with a spare plug shorted to block - zilch.
Coil cool.

Happened to have my spare dizzy (with another Ignitor) complete with cap and leads in the boot (as you do - having said how reliable I've found ignitors on earlier threads !) fitted it and it fired immediately and has since.

So I've tried testing the Ignitor by connecting a 3volt test lamp between the red + and black lead and turning the dizzy shaft - no light.
Is 3volts enough ? or is there a better way before I return the dizzy to Aldon - its a yellow top D45 and I not sure it takes points as the ignitor is riveted to a base plate screwed into the dizzy base.

R.
richard boobier

Are you testing it off the car?

If so, what power source are you using?
Dave O'Neill 2

See... it pays to carry ALL your spares in the boot....you just never know

I told you so nigel....HAHAHA

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Thats why I plan to carry a spare crankshaft in the boot as well... you just never know when you might need it

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Dave,

Its on the bench - just the bare dizzy - using a test light probe/wire clip with its own 3volt internal battery.

Will try a 12volt set up not sure if it needs 12 volt for the 'Hall effect switching' - assuming the red wire is the positive - need to double check the coil wires tomorrow as to what the red was connected to - think it was the +ve supply.

R.
richard boobier

I put Lumenition on 14 years ago when other cheaper stuff wasn't available. I haven't touched it since
W Clough

Tried testing it with 12volts and a test lamp and turned the dizzy - nothing - so will return to Aldon for a check over.

R.
richard boobier

I'd suggest a proven technology. Points and condenser. LOLOLOL.
Lawrence Slater

2X lawerance....

They work well for the 1st 60,000 miles or so.
Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Points....Yes they worked well in their day. Id rather have an electronic firing device any day over points, even if I had to carry a spare. I have been carrying a spare for 15 years and still have yet to use it.

I've been threw 3 fuel pumps during that time! Oh ya because it has points! Ha ha ha!
Steven Devine

Most electronic firing devices I've played with need at least 10v to fire...if you don't have that it will probably not work!
Steven Devine

Well Aldon report it was a faulty rotor arm - I'm surprised as it was a red Bosch one.
So not the Ignitor after all !

I didn't have a spare with me when it failed as its a 45d type dizzy - will carry one now !

Will try it out when it is delivered later in the week.

R.
richard boobier

In what way had the rotor arm failed? There isn't much to fail, unless the contact strip falls off. Any fault is likely to be visible.

Lawrence Slater

perhaps the rotor wasn't actually a Bosch made one

(Lucas) rotor arm problem - http://distributordoctor.com/rotor_arms.html

(Lucas) low grade copies - http://distributordoctor.com/red-rotor-arms.html
Nigel Atkins

Well the spare I have in the garage is in a Bosch box !and was previously supplied by Aldon

I assume they must short to earth as has ben reported recently with the rubbish Chinese ones that have a rivet near the surface etc.
It looked O.K to me.


Am awaiting its return with interest.

R.
richard boobier

I don't know if they still do but the Bosch rotors used to have the part number impressed on them and I think their trade mark

on the Bosch dissy cap I got with my dissy there was the trade mark and possibly the part number but certainly the the trade mark

have a look at the quality of this "Bosch" part, if you put your cursor over the photo that two thirds of the way down the page it will magnify the photo, not that you need to to see the poor quality of the finish - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VOLVO-240-2-1-2-3-Bosch-Rotor-Arm-/290994692004?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item43c0a29fa4



Nigel Atkins

Many years ago, I suffered rotor arm failure on my A35, which was running Lumenition electronic ignition.

I inadvertently ran it with one of the plug leads disconnected and the spark obviously found that the easiest path to earth was through the rotor arm.

It was a genuine Lucas item.
Dave O'Neill 2

This thread was discussed between 16/06/2014 and 02/07/2014

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.