some how air or something is getting by the distributer seal and blowing the plug wires right off the distributer cap and moving it alittle bit each time. is this possible? bc this is the second time this past week. it only does it when it is cold. i get a pop and the car idles like crap look under the hood and plug wires are off the cap. the first time i thought someone was messing with me but this time i know it is for real. could it be the o ring on the dist thats bad or am i full of it?how about this... fumes traveling from the carb to the dist and when the key gets turned on the fumes ignite? blowing of the wires? it is traveling through the vacuum advance line.
distributer popping
- Thread starter trashline
- Start date
A
Anonymous
Guest
Feel free to drill a couple of small holes...3/16th or so in the sides of the distributor cap to equalize pressure and or to prevent moisture build up n the cap. Also you can bend the end of you plug wires a bit so they fit tighter in the cap.
A good question is why is there anything but a vacuum inside the distributor...
Cheers,
Steve-O
A good question is why is there anything but a vacuum inside the distributor...
Cheers,
Steve-O
simon
Famous Member
Fascinating.
since the distributor cap is injection molded directly onto/ over the brass or alminum terminals during the manufacturing process, there shouldn´t be any passages that allow air or fumes to travel.
Pull all the plugs, remove the cap and check the terminals thoroughly; they should be air tight.
If you´d have gas fumes travelling to your vacuum canister and being ignited, they´d blow off the canister, not the spark plug wires.
The o-ring from the dizzy does not seal the distributor shaft, its task is more to keep oil from leaking there. Plus, on most dizzy bodies there is a small hole underneath the breaker plate, and most aftermarket distributor caps have a small hole as well to allow venting.
There is a certain possibility that the plug boots trap air which expands when underhood temperatures rise. Make sure the connectors have a tight grip on the terminals and pull or twist the boot rubber a little to make sure there is no pressurized air trapped.
since the distributor cap is injection molded directly onto/ over the brass or alminum terminals during the manufacturing process, there shouldn´t be any passages that allow air or fumes to travel.
Pull all the plugs, remove the cap and check the terminals thoroughly; they should be air tight.
If you´d have gas fumes travelling to your vacuum canister and being ignited, they´d blow off the canister, not the spark plug wires.
The o-ring from the dizzy does not seal the distributor shaft, its task is more to keep oil from leaking there. Plus, on most dizzy bodies there is a small hole underneath the breaker plate, and most aftermarket distributor caps have a small hole as well to allow venting.
There is a certain possibility that the plug boots trap air which expands when underhood temperatures rise. Make sure the connectors have a tight grip on the terminals and pull or twist the boot rubber a little to make sure there is no pressurized air trapped.
yes you are correct. i pressureized the cap and no air escapes. so the only thing i could thing of is a surge of power blowing off the plug wires. or air inside of the plug boots. the cap is brand new about a month old , i cant remember if it did it before the new cap or not. all the plug wires were kinda loose on the cap. and i always push them down. tonight i will let my car sit and have someone get in the car and start while i watch the plug wires , an di hope it will happen. any other thoughts?
Silicones on the cap risers or boots can cause the boots to slide off. The best approach is to pull the boot up the lead, plunge the lead fully and firmly into the cap socket (you may want to ensure this bites in well), then slide the boot down and over the riser. Hope this helps.
Regards, Adam.
Regards, Adam.
A
Anonymous
Guest
I'm grasping here, but could the cap/wire connection be dirty or poor continuity, causing the connection to arc and or heat up and "blow" the wire off the cap? Never heard of it happening, but who knows.
this is what i think is happening. gas vapors are traveling through the vacuum advance line into the dist. when it gets cold the fuel condenses and becomes a liquid on the elec parts inside the dist. when the key gets turned on it explodes. thats the only reason why i see flashes from the dist. im still not sure on the action on the plug wires. how they are "blowing" off. so today i am going to remove the vacuum line. and attempt to start cold tonight. if it blows then it doesnt have anything to do with fuel . then i will try a new set of plugs and wires.
pedal2themetal45
Famous Member
HI TRASHLINE
It is vurturaly inpossiable for gas vapors to get under the plug wires in the cap?? the electrods are sealed in the plastic of the cap?? if gas vapors were getting inside of the cap it would blow the cap off not the wires.. I don't see how vapors would be getting in throu the advance as it is not conected to the dizzy execpt by a leaver (rod) the vacuum pod is outside the dizzy and it has suck not prusher.
just my .o2
Tim
It is vurturaly inpossiable for gas vapors to get under the plug wires in the cap?? the electrods are sealed in the plastic of the cap?? if gas vapors were getting inside of the cap it would blow the cap off not the wires.. I don't see how vapors would be getting in throu the advance as it is not conected to the dizzy execpt by a leaver (rod) the vacuum pod is outside the dizzy and it has suck not prusher.
just my .o2
Tim
A
Anonymous
Guest
trashline":1lcm643l said:
You keep saying vacuum line...they are not pressurized at all. There is no way it could push anything to your dizzy.
The flashes you see are arcing, this can happen with cheap wires and a hot coil and pertonix/MSD ignition. Some is normal. I suspect if you get better wires it will go away. Also buy $3 worth of dielectric grease and coat the dizzy inside and out. Will not affect the operation, but cuts way down on arcing. Also use a loom to keep your wires apart from each other.
Good luck,
Steve-O
A
Anonymous
Guest
steve...thats ONE TOUGH poll question on your car domain site.........
i know you answered elsewhere...but your air filter...can you PM me the specific kind. I am replacing mine....
Love the red one
i know you answered elsewhere...but your air filter...can you PM me the specific kind. I am replacing mine....
Love the red one
The fit of newer plug wires to the cap is alot tighter than they used to be. What is happening is that when you install the plug wire into the cap you are traping a bit of air. Silcone grease on the wires will even make it worse. When you go to install the wire into the cap pinch the boot that covers the cap and wire. this should allow any air traped to escape.
then why does it only do it when it is cold? the air is more dense when it is cold, so it isnt disperssed evenly throughout the inside of the plug boot. it it was warm there would be more even disperssness of the air molecules. i have cheaper plug wires too so i am going to first try the squeezing of the boots and see if it works tonight after work. if it doesnt work then i am going to purchase new wires
pedal2themetal45
Famous Member
HAY TRASH
Are they comming compleatly out fo the dizzy or are the wires just comming up in the cap. If there just comming up in the cap here's something else you might try push the boot up the wire push the wire in the cap then push the boot back down to seal around the cap and wire. You should feel the wire snap into the cap. If it don't snap it aint holding and the boot may be pulling it out.
Just another though.
tim
Are they comming compleatly out fo the dizzy or are the wires just comming up in the cap. If there just comming up in the cap here's something else you might try push the boot up the wire push the wire in the cap then push the boot back down to seal around the cap and wire. You should feel the wire snap into the cap. If it don't snap it aint holding and the boot may be pulling it out.
Just another though.
tim
i went out i pulled off the vacuum line. i dont have a dizzy it is the stock dist. i took every wire pulled the connecter out opened them a bit to get a good bit on the cap and moved the boot back down. all while pinching the boot. just the plug wires are blowing off the cap. the cap isnt moving. i removed the vacuum line and i am placing a paper towel around the end to see if i get a fuel coming from it . after work tonight when it is cold out i will check the paper towel and turn the key to see if it pops again. if it does i am getting wires and eliminated the fuel cause that i thought it was. also i blew into the vacuum line into the carb it allowed me to do so and it allowed me to suck air which tasted like gas so. we shall see tonight and i will post my results.
pedal2themetal45
Famous Member
HI Trashline
With the vacuum line unpluged your going to have a vacuum leak with out the line pluged up with a screw or something.. Thats why you could blow through it and tasted fuel when you sucked it.. its open to the inside of the carb ventures thats what makes it work.
As the air is sucked into the carb it flows past a small hole in the ventures and creates the vacuum that the advance line is hooked up to and creates the vacuum that makes it work. ITS SUCK,, THERE IS NO PURSHER THERE..
Start the car first then pull the vacuum hose and you well see put your finger over it and you well feel the pull or even a small peace of paper againest it and it well stay because of the vacuum (SUCK).
OH dizzy is just another way of saying dist. or distribitor.
Tim
With the vacuum line unpluged your going to have a vacuum leak with out the line pluged up with a screw or something.. Thats why you could blow through it and tasted fuel when you sucked it.. its open to the inside of the carb ventures thats what makes it work.
As the air is sucked into the carb it flows past a small hole in the ventures and creates the vacuum that the advance line is hooked up to and creates the vacuum that makes it work. ITS SUCK,, THERE IS NO PURSHER THERE..
Start the car first then pull the vacuum hose and you well see put your finger over it and you well feel the pull or even a small peace of paper againest it and it well stay because of the vacuum (SUCK).
OH dizzy is just another way of saying dist. or distribitor.
Tim
ok check this out. after work i had placed the end of the vacuum line in a spot that would collect fuel. and when i opened the hood i found a puddle of fuel. so i turned the key and no pop. i belive i found the problem guys. this is an autolite 1100 i have the two barrel ready for the conversion so this looks like a good time todo it.
how could fuel be coming through the vacuum line? also i didnt notice any performance issues when the vacuum line was off. i didnt plug it either
how could fuel be coming through the vacuum line? also i didnt notice any performance issues when the vacuum line was off. i didnt plug it either
A
Anonymous
Guest
With this problem, Iguess you have clogged passages in your carb. Also you really need helical coil wound MSD or better wires with MSD ignition, regular silicone core wires will arc and spark like crazy.trashline":bm794e7n said:
Cheers,
Steve-O
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