ignition points not staying put

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grasshopper
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Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2014 10:25 pm
Your car is a: 1976 Fiat Spider

ignition points not staying put

Postby grasshopper » Wed Sep 13, 2017 6:32 pm

Hi all. I'm sorry if this is a silly question. I have an issue with my ignition points becoming loose. They are secured with two screws. As far as I know, there is no washer required under the screw. My points keep on loosening and loosing their gap. I've just installed two lock washers. I hope this will solve my problem. Has anyone had this problem before ?

spider2081
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Your car is a: 1981 Spider 2000
Location: Wallingford,CT
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Re: ignition points not staying put

Postby spider2081 » Thu Sep 14, 2017 7:05 am

I am a firm believer in replacing hardware with new when replacing distributor parts. The threads in plates the screws go into are thin so only a few threads are there. After years of use the threads on the screws and the plates could be worn not allowing proper tightening. Replacing the screws should at least fix 1/2 of the issue.
I think its more common for the screws that hold the rotors to loosen. This allows the rotor to strike the cap and they both break killing the engine.

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kmead
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Your car is a: 1969 850 SC 1970 124 SC 85 X19
Location: Grand Rapids, MI

Re: ignition points not staying put

Postby kmead » Fri Sep 15, 2017 6:52 am

You can buy a new plate for the points to be screwed into. MWB has them. Given the issues you are having I woul look into getting the plate. Or finding a later model electronic distributor from a 79 or 80 with carb preferably.

Sometimes if your bearings in the distributor are worn the shaft can wander and your gap can "disappear".

Rotors on most late model Spiders are push on, no screws. Never had one with the screws come off on my 850 or my 1438 Sport Coupe which both use the Marelli with a two screw rotor.
Karl

1969 Fiat 850 Sports Coupe
1970 Fiat 124 Sports Coupe
1985 Bertone X1/9

spider2081
Patron 2024
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Your car is a: 1981 Spider 2000
Location: Wallingford,CT
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Re: ignition points not staying put

Postby spider2081 » Fri Sep 15, 2017 6:02 pm

Rotors on most late model Spiders are push on, no screws.


Not sure what constitutes a late model Spider but my 81 Spider 2000's rotor is held in place by 2 screws with wave washers. I replaced the screws with new ones and the wave washers with internal star washers.

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seabeelt
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Your car is a: Fiat Spider - 1971 BS1
Location: Tiverton, RI

Re: ignition points not staying put

Postby seabeelt » Mon Sep 18, 2017 1:12 pm

The screws need flat washers under them or at least between the lock washer and plate. This prevents the points from moving when you tighten the screws. Particularly the one nearest the actual points gap
Michael and Deborah Williamson
1971 Spider -Tropie’ - w screaming IDFs
1971 Spider - Vesper -scrapped
1979 Spider - Seraphina - our son's car now sold
1972 Spider - Tortellini- our son's current


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