[T3] Rebuild my Distributor?

["Fuhriman, Mark" <mfuhriman@fugro.com>]

Confession time.  Many will remember that crazy "won't start puzzler" saga
of about a month ago.  Well, it's been kind of happening again, and I think
the problem boils down to the need for a dist. rebuild.  Read on if you like
and see if you agree.

When I reported to the List that everything was fixed and working, I had
done lots of things.  Among these things was a complete clean-up of the
little housing for the FI trigger contacts in the dist. base.  I changed out
the trigger contacts with a clean set (even tho the old ones looked OK), and
put everything back together spotless.

About 200 miles later, it happened again.  Missing badly on the freeway.
Pulled off the road, and the car didn't want to start.  After a few minutes
it started again and got me about a mile down the road before I pulled off
again.  Another few minutes, and I went off again, limping the last couple
of miles home.

Pulled the FI contacts again and noticed a small bit of oil in the housing.
Cleaned the housing out, and replaced the FI contacts with a THIRD set I
had.  This third replacement set I cleaned well and rinsed with rubbing
alcohol before reinstalling.

Ran swell with no missing for another 100 miles or so.  Tonight the car
wouldn't start for me in the parking lot at work.  Mind you, it got me there
just fine.  Just wouldn't start several hours later.  I pulled the FI
contacts again, and noticed another *small* bit of oil in the little house,
which I wiped out with a Q-tip.  I cleaned the FI contacts with a piece of
paper.  This cleaning didn't leave any oily stains on the paper.  Put
everything back together, and the car started right up and got me home with
no missing.

Question:  Just how sensitive are those FI points to contamination??
Cleaning the points seems to be temporarily solving this recurring problem
for me.  My only guess right now is that the distributor is allowing just
enough oily vapor into the little house for the FI contacts that the
contacts become contaminated and hence not fire.  Sound reasonable??  So I'm
thinking I need to hire Jim to rebuild my distributor..?!?..

-Mark Fuhriman
 '69 Fastback

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