[alfa] Is it real or is it MarelliPlex?

[alfacybersite <acs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is dedicated to Jonathan Smithies (who apparently thinks Edison was
a loser since it took him so many tries to figure out the light bulb)
and Jeff Greenfield who commiserated with my plight and offered a
strange sort of hope in quoting Sherlock Holmes: "After the possible has
been eliminated, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the
solution."

There were a number of other great 'have you tried this's'. While I
can't say the ordeal for All of us is over, am hopeful. A special thanks
to Jim Steck who, in his inimitable way, offered unique comments and
ideas - and, if all goes well gets to recurve not one, but two
MarelliPlex distributors.

********

Late yesterday when getting ready to switch out the MarelliPlex
distributor for the Bosch, I removed the cam cover to make absolute sure
the #1 cam lobes were facing outward verifying the valves were closed
(even though I'd previously removed all of the spark plugs).

I removed the distributor wires but wanted to make sure #1 was where I
thought it was (actually in the correct wrong place) but wanted to
double check by removing the cap. What are the possibilities of an
engine running with the ignition wires misaligned? Zip to none, but
since Sherlock Holmes said...

I looked inside the cap as I had several times over the past two years
to check if there had been build-up on the interior brass contacts and
to check for any hairline cracks on both the inside and outside of the
case even though it was destined to be placed on the shelf.

Not a good or even valid excuse, but I work on my car just inside the
shop and the lighting isn't that great. Client's cars go further inside
and have much better lighting conditions.

I got out the flashlight and peered inside. The contacts didn't look
right. One was of normal thickness, the two next to it were about 3/5ths
the thickness and the one directly across from it was about 1/3rd the
thickness of the 'normal' contact.

First thought was the cap had been installed crooked and the rotor had
cut down the contacts. Couldn't be since the contacts were thin top to
bottom - if the rotor had shaved them down, there would be a groove in
the middle, but the tops and bottoms would be of normal thickness.

Mr. Smithies, for your edification, the contacts are less than 3/16ths
of an inch thick and located at the bottom of the cap (when viewed
upside down) - so any anomalies don't really jump out at you.

Bottom Line - the distributor cap had been mis-manufactured - but
unfortunately not enough so the car couldn't run 99% of the time. It's
that 1% which has been the slight problem.

Since I started with a new distributor cap and rotor, then eventually
over the two year period have virtually replaced everything except the
basic MarelliPlex items, what else could it be?

Drove a short distance last evening after buttoning it back up and after
stealing the cap and rotor from the 'fake' 1750 engine which is to go in
my '69 Spider, 'twas fine. Drove about 35 miles this afternoon making
six stops to let the engine bay heat soak and pick up stuff, got caught
in traffic on the way back from Pasadena (god I miss that town). She
(MarelliPlex) had never liked puttering along and always let me know by
- what else - cutting out. Not today. Hit a very brief 95 after getting
onto the 605 south.

If after about 465 more miles you haven't heard any more bitching about
Biba's Cutting Out Problem, you might be able to relax.

Biba
(who will be sleeping better this evening...now with only one eye open)
Irwindale, CA USA
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