Escort RS Turbo

[chillout]

How hard/easy is it to change a distributor on a S2 RS? The mechanic where it went to has estimated £50. Seems excessive. A mobile mechanic reckons £35. Do I have to let the first guy do it as he analysed the problem? Also some say timing needs to be done, others say its self adjusting?
Any ideas?

 

[Burnerman]

The S2 is the CVH motor, isn't it?
Just a few minutes to unbolt the distributor from the camshaft, engine nearside......there is a few degrees of timing movement available through elongated slots (if memory serves) but a moment with a timing light sorts that.
John

 

[Mursal]

Cap or complete distributor body?

 

[chillout]

Ah cheers yep cvh. I was told the timing is not needed as self adjusting?? Nope whole unit, the caps easy!!

 

[Burnerman]

Its an easy job, but I don't know whats meant by 'self adjusting'......to make it easy, take the cap off, turn the engine until the rotor arm points at 12 o'clock, see where the dizzy is regarding the elongated slots and unbolt it, pulling it gently out of the cylinder head.
Put the rotor arm at 12 on the new dizzy, gently coax it back in and pop the cap back on.
Final adjustments are done with a timing light on the crank pulley.
John

 

[wotan]

Does the distributor actually have points? it could be photo optical, and therefor no points gap to worry about, it would still need final timing set by using strobe light on crankshaft marks, a good mechanic can set it by ear, noting the change in engine note.

Wotan

 

[Burnerman]

No points ever on the CVH dizzies - which is probably why they were hopelessly unreliable when they first came out
John

 

[Mursal]

Self adjusting .........

No fun in that

 

[Burnerman]

Just thinking about the self adjusting comment - maybe it means the automatic advance mechanism......for the life of me I can't remember if these things had bob weights or not.
John

 

[chillout]

I managed to do it today, how the mechanic could justify charging £50 is beyond me! She drives like a dream, no more cutiing out on start up etc. Another garage said theyd do the timing if need be, but feels ok.