strange missing fault

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traumjaeger
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 3:04 pm

Re: strange missing fault

#11 Post by traumjaeger » Wed May 17, 2017 9:32 am

Hi Guys, As promised some photos of my Humber Sceptre. Enjoy
T
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Luxobarge
Posts: 1898
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 3:12 pm
Location: Horne, Surreyshire

Re: strange missing fault

#12 Post by Luxobarge » Wed May 17, 2017 9:43 am

That's a lovely looking car you have there, I can completely understand why you want to get it faultless, I would too!

OK, I've gotta agree with the sentiments expressed above regarding your electronic ignition system. One fits these things for a variety of reasons, one of the main ones being reliability and ease of maintenance, and you're not achieving that so in my opinion you need to take another approach. Going back to points is one option, but personally I'd go for a better quality electronic ignition set up, particularly if you can fit one that blends into the engine bay and isn't obvious. I'd say the Accuspark system mentioned above would fit the bill very well, that's the route I'd go personally.

I have a Lumenition Optronic system in my Midget, it's been fitted for about 15 years now and has been utterly faultless - I've never had to ouch it in any way, and this is how it should be. I don't believe they make them any more, and also it's an "external" system so it's pretty obvious looking into the engine bay, but something along those lines is what is called for here, just make sure it's a good quality well-made system.

Hope you sort this soon (I'm sure you will) and have lots more fun with that lovely car - well done!
Some people are like Slinkies - they serve no useful purpose, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them downstairs.

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JPB
Posts: 10319
Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2011 3:24 pm

Re: strange missing fault

#13 Post by JPB » Wed May 17, 2017 10:26 am

Optronic is usually reliable, they're well made, use only well potted discrete components and on the rare occasions that faults happen, these tend to be related to poor connections to the car's original wiring rather than the system itself, Accuspark systems are something of a lottery in that the supplier has no concept of the fact that different cars may well use the same distributor body, but that bob weights, springs and advance/retard capsules are unique to each different application. There are hundreds of possible combinations for - as an example - the A series engine alone, SimonBBC & Accuspark will refuse to acknowledge this fact in much the same way that some folk will look you straight in the eyes and tell you that reindeer are mythological animals. The cheap (currently under £14) Britpart system is magnetic and not 100% reliable but, at that price, a spare can be carried just in case and the fitment doesn't show any visible signs of its existence apart from the required blue cable for the feed to the amplifier, which can usually be bound to the course of the coil's switch lead and as such, is reversible and not obvious.

Some years ago, I tested several systems including the expensive and totally customisable 123 distributor, the Pertronix ignitor, the Lumenition Optronic & Magnetronic and that cheap Britpart. The Britpart system showed consistently the lowest amount of timing scatter on the scope when tested. These test results were posted on the long-defunct Reliant R3W forum, based on each device being tested on half a dozen different cars - from original Reliant engined stuff to A series BL products, a Citroen Visa and even a vintage motorcycle - over the course of a month, if there is an archive I can't find it but the conclusion was that only the 123 was technically superior and then only by a barely measurable amount and at over 30 times the price!

There's still a lot to be said for the reliability of correctly fitted c/b points with a well matched "condenser" value that will reduce contact depositing to an absolute minimum, and my choice, if I had a car that still used a distributor in regular use, would be the Britpart system with a spare distributor baseplate fitted up and carried in the glove hole. Or a spare Britpart system and a tube of the good quality heatsink paste.



Oh, and that Humber is absolutely lovely, that light blue is - IMHO - one of the best colours ever to grace a Rootes Group product. :thumbs:
J
"Home is where you park it", so the saying goes. That may yet come true.. :oops:

kevin
Posts: 856
Joined: Sun May 12, 2013 7:49 am

Re: strange missing fault

#14 Post by kevin » Wed May 17, 2017 12:22 pm

I fully agree with John re the Accuspark units being a 1 size fits all type solution so not ideal. what I would say however is that that Scepter engine appears to be exactly the same as my Singer's so for the money, the accuspark unit would help identify a potential issue. as said, my car runs lovely on it but at some point it will be going back to the NOS distributor I have on the shelf.

Lovely car BTW.

Kev

kevin
Posts: 856
Joined: Sun May 12, 2013 7:49 am

Re: strange missing fault

#15 Post by kevin » Tue May 23, 2017 4:52 pm

Any developments with this issue?

Kev

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