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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - Which distributor do I need

Hi Which distributor do I need for My V8 conversion I think it is a points type not the electronic as I have machined the tit off that workes it on the front pully if so what do I get it from is it old Range Rover or a P6 Rover I phoned Moss Today and they said imposible to find new and about £300
p Dorner

It is not possible to just swap SD1/P6 distributors, as the oil pump drive is different. P6 has a blade (male) at the end of the dist shaft and a slot (female) on the oil pump gear shaft. SD1 is the other way around. You have 3 choices.....
1. Replace the "tit" on the pulley and reposition transducer to suit.
2. Fit an after-market non-electronic distributor (eg Mallory dual point...about £200 from Real Steel)....easy but expensive!
3. Fit the P6 type distributor and retro-fit P6 oil pump (not recommeded)
Pete
Pete Green

They all work but you will need to get the right rotor shaft to connect to the oil pump. Rimmers will help with the match. Later when its all working you can decide on points v luminition and vacuum advance v electronic. I suggest your decision should be led by condition which will probably mean the newest. Others might advise Mallory but Rover/luminition is a good combination and may cost less.

It sounds as if you have a 4.2 ? with an earlier timing cover ?

Roger
Roger

I had the early shaft (P6) pressed into the deep oil pump gears from an SD1. The shaft does not go completely into the gear, but I have done 5,000 miles so far without any problems. Next time I dismantle, I will have a longer shaft made.

I then used the early distributor which I converted to pertronix electronic ignition which is reportedly the most reliable.
M G

I have a similar question. I will be running a 4.6L and my old SD1 front cover is in poor shape. The SDI covers are expensive and I know we can use a Buick V6 front cover from a rear drive car. Then comes the hard part. The buick cover is availible in high volume oil pump versions but is the old style P6 drive for the pump. Can the distributor gear on the cam be changed to the old style as well as the gear on the dizy? Or do I need a diff dizy? The motor had the oil pan and cam changed for use with the SD1 cover etc from RPI.
Mike

Paul,

It sounds to me like you have a SD1 engine and have machined the pulley for the fan belt. The "tit" on the pulley and the transducer have nothing to do with the ignition, the transducer is wired into the diagnostic plug but is not connected to the ignition. The SD1 distributor, if that is what is fitted to the engine, will still work.

Geoff
Geoff King

Mike,
I am running a Rover 3500 timing cover with a high volume oil pump kit for a Buick v6. My distributor is a Buick 215, it all fits together fine. Don't know if this helps, but thats my setup.
Jake

Mike,
Be careful with the buick timing cover with the built in high volume plate! The aftermarket front covers are absolute crap! I spent over a week fighting with one, and it would never build oil pressure. Put the old v6 cover back on, and had oil pressure within seconds! Your best bet is to get a NON aftermarket buick v6 timing cover, and buy the high volume kit. That includes the longer gears that you need. Next get a distributor from a buick 300, and put a pertronix II inside of it. You'll have a fully compatible system with your rover 4.6L, and a good ignition system to boot!

Justin
Justin

Thanks for all the replys I do have a SD1 motor and have machined a groove for the belt so do I just leave off the pick up all together and it will still work or do I need to fit a new Tit and move the pickup I would rather use the original dizzy if possible the motor is standard apeart from RV8 headers and a holly carb If I can use the dizzy how do I wire it up I have the coil and the other bit with all the wires in that goes behind the coil I am using a new MGB V8 harness it has 2 wires for the coil I take it 1 is the feed and the other is for the Tacko .

Paul
p Dorner

Justin,
Thanks for the heads up. I was considering the Cover from Celvite #6018090. They say its got the high vol built in but i am now fearful. The problem with my SD1 cover is the gears have started receding into the housing. Unfortunately I found this after I had already bought new gears for the pump and dizy. Anyone know of a way to fix the cover I have?
Mike
Mike

Ok lemme throw this out at you too: SD1's haven't been made on this side of the pond in more then a few years. Do you want to rely on rover in England for a waterpump, or do you wanna go to an auto parts store and get a federal mogul buick 300 water pump (brand new) for about 50 bucks? If you ask me, it's a no brainer. I bet a decent machine shop could measure the buick front cover for you, and mill the mounting surface down if necessary to get the proper depth for the gears. I think that's the problem, is the depth of the cavity is messed up on the covers with the built in high volume plate. I really need to take my cover back to my machine shop and ask them to fix it. I paid $180.00 for it, and it just sits around my garage collecting dust.

Thats my story and I'm stickin to it ;)
Justin
Justin

Paul,

As I said before the pick up has nothing to do with the ignition and is not connected to the distributor or coil. You do not need the tit or the pickup; its purpose is to send timing information to the diagnostic equipment used by Rover and it can be left off.

The ‘…other bit with all the wires in that goes behind the coil’ sounds like the amplifier, so I think you have a Lucas AB 14 series Constant Energy Ignition with a separate amplifier under the coil, the engine is probably around 1984. Incidentally there is not much Lucas about the amplifier, inside the case its GM (not MG) parts.

There should be a two-wire harness from the double pin plug out of the side of the distributor to the spade connections on the bottom of the amplifier (if this is missing I’ll check the wire colours on my car). There should also be a 3-pin multiplug from the amplifier with one white and two white/black wires, the white is the 12-volt supply from the ignition switch and one of the white/black wires is for the tacho. The second black/white wire should have a black sleeve and is unused. The system does not use a ballast resistor so make sure the supply is 12v.

I hope this helps.

Geoff
Geoff King

Justin - old style water pumps from the club - they are remakes - 'nuff said

Roger
Roger

This thread was discussed between 01/09/2003 and 03/09/2003

MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical index

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