Everything was going too well......
The 2.4 has been running like a top. I even managed to get a reasonable idle on the sidedraft Solex (immediately after buying a DCOE 45 to replace it
)
Anyway, on my way home this evening I took a hard corner and **crunch** - engine died. I feared the worst like a broke a rod and something, but the engine turned with out any grinding and when trying to start, just wouldn't fire up and back-fired through the carb. It was like an ignition problem.
After an expensive tow I set about trying to figure it out. pulled the valve cover and plugs, timing chain was good and no problems in the valve train.
I pulled the distributor and it wouldn't spin without grinding - bingo.
I had modified the unit to limit the centrifugal advance by putting a set screw etc on the plates. (documented elsewhere)
At some point, the assembly had broke off and I think was lying in the bottom of the dizzy housing. The hard corner seems to have thrown it up into the rotating parts and got jammed. Bent the plates and basically toasted the unit.
I had a look at the components that I thought could be harmed by the sudden stop. The gear on the crank looks fine as do the mating gears on the dizzy shaft.
I also pulled the oil pump cover to look at those gears. They appear to be grinding away on each other and look quite worn and rough. Perhaps this is why my oil pressure it always pegged at 5.
Anyway. I thought it was going to be worse but I'll be replacing the OP gears and must find a new dizzy.
I think I will try to find a '75 unit without the advance. I had the vacuum advance disconnected anyway.
Anyone have a distributor kicking around?