Distributor locating pin

[redfirenza]

Not sure what set up you have but if its the single 150CD Zenith/Stromberg type carb didn't these suffer from inlet manifold problems where a thin wall inside the manifold breaks though? its only visible if you take the manifold off, I know this used to cause very difficult to diagnose problems

[vauxhallbitz]

Thanks for that, I will have a look to see, to be honest I will try anything at this stage.

[vauxhallbitz]

Can anyone tell me does the vacuum on the distributor face the front or rear of the block when fitted?

I am clutching at straws to resolve this problem........

[Johnboy HB]

It faces the front as per pic, off the top of my head, I think no 1 plug lead fits closest to the vac advance

[Johnboy HB]

Just reading through all this again, 2 things strike me, firstly it's had a fiesta electronic ignition fitted so presumably the wiring has been altered to bypass the ballast resistor, secondly I would have thought it wouldn't run if you had mistakenly set it up as no 4 plug as being no1 so maybe the distributor has been fitted 180 degrees out theoretically making no 4 plug lead no 1, the camshaft & distributor run at half engine speed so 1 revolution of the crankshaft results in 1/2 revolution of the cam & distributor

[bedfordbad]

At TDC the rotor arm should be around 5 o'clock looking from front of car.(no 1 plug lead should be there).. as jonnyboy says check distributor isn't 180 degrees out... it's easy to do with a centre drive dizzy... only way to check is take rocker box off and turn over until TDC on compression stroke.... Haynes explains this well.....
Also check a rocker hasn't got a hole pushed through it when cover off....
Also as previously mentioned make sure 12v is getting into coil not 9v through ballast... ..
Good luck...

[bedfordbad]

I don't suppose you have had the oil pump or timing chain off recently have you... if so check valve timing....

[vauxhallbitz]

Thanks for the advice guys I am not sure about the wiring, there were only two wires coming from the module on the side of the Fiesta distributor, one went to positive and the other to the negative.

I took it off and fitted the correct distributor with the one lead to the coil, it ran when it was 180 degrees out but won't run now that the timing has been set correctly.

I believe the Fiesta modification is a common one does anyone know if any other wiring needs to be changed?

[bedfordbad]

Looks like you have a timing issue because it wouldn't run if the timing was 180 degrees out.... have you carried out any other work to the engine other than change the dizzy?

[vauxhallbitz]

Yes changed the head gasket but that was weeks ago and it has been running fine since then.
When it was 180 out it ran but very lumpy and backfiring.