Distributor rotor exploded!
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 355
Likes: 1
From: CNY
Distributor rotor exploded!
On a 4 hour trip today my dizzy rotor decided it had lived a long enough life. In the first 30 mins of the trip the truck shuddered a bit going up hills, almost like it wasn't getting fuel, but then it cleared up. 1hr 30mins later I get a few pops out the tailpipe and the engine quits. Used my extra spark plug to figure out spark to dizzy, but none out.
Pop the rotor and see what is pictured below...luckily my wife was following me and a nearby store had a complete dizzy...
[url=https://postimages.org/]
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I recently changed the rotor, cap, plugs, and wires (all motorcrft). What would have cause this?
Pop the rotor and see what is pictured below...luckily my wife was following me and a nearby store had a complete dizzy...
[url=https://postimages.org/]
[/urlI recently changed the rotor, cap, plugs, and wires (all motorcrft). What would have cause this?
FTE Legend
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 31,930
Likes: 1,499
From: Ottawa, Ontario
I got nothin.. that failure makes about as much sense as the flexplate failure I had last winter. You probably couldn't repeat that if you tried... luckily. Can't say I have even seen that happen before.
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,935
Likes: 34
From: Arcadia, Fla
2X !! been there and done that!
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,716
Likes: 583
From: Chillicothe
It was about two years ago I pulled into my driveway and the truck let out a rocking backfire. After some investigation I found the locating tab on the dizzy had broken off and let the rotor slip. That was almost 60k miles ago and so far so good. It was odd for sure.
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Freshman User
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
From: Long Beach, WA
Looks like there was some serious arcing and melting going on inside the distributor. This can be caused by excessive coil wire resistance and or excessive spark plug gap, or perhaps a defective coil.
What does the old coil wire end look like? Was it burnt also?
What does the old coil wire end look like? Was it burnt also?
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 355
Likes: 1
From: CNY
No burning on the coil wire. Spark plug gap is still good- set to .044
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
Do basic or independent auto shops still have ignition analyzers or oscilliscopes? It would be real useful if somebody made a handheld (smartphone app?) that would show a trace or whatever, secondary voltage, duration, rise time in ms etc etc. High voltage does strange things when everything isn't setup right.
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 355
Likes: 1
From: CNY
I hope not, I spent more than I would've liked for that rotor because of the name on it lol.
Freshman User
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
From: Long Beach, WA
OoO ! I was thinking you still had the old coil and wire. Those primary and secondary readings are within specs though. Too bad ya don't still have the old one.