distributor shredding?
 

ok another qustion for you guys,this one i actualy know a little bit about if my friend isnt talking out of his ass.i have a 1983 with a 12A and my friend told me they are notorios for distributor's shredding.he told me to go to pull a part ((my local junk yard)) and get the distributor system off of a 2nd gen cus it is electronic egnition ((witch came factory on the car)) with a highphonix system so there is 4 indavidual coils for each chamber.I was just wondering if my buddy is talking out his ass about the hole intire system or at least if it would bolt right onto my 12A.so sum one please help me out and tell me,i cant drive my car cus everytime i do i have to pull of the distributor cap and pull plastic shavings out of it:wallbash: !!!HELP!!!!

I'd say your friend is full of it. I have not seen this problem on 1st gen dizzys. I imagine that either your dizzy shaft is bent or your cap/rotor are not put on just right. Also, the 2nd gens do not have a distributor. They have a Crank Angle Sensor (CAS). You cannot us the full 2nd gen ignition without an ECU (2nd gen ECU, or aftermarket). Get yourself a new cap and rotor and make sure they are on straight and fully seated. If you still have a problem, drop in another distributor ('81-'85).

I've had the same problem, and I've used a few different distibutors, with no change. Seems my poles in my cap are always mangled after a few months. I can't imagine I've never put the cap on properly, I mean, even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while.

This is one I never heard of, but I just had this happen also, I was thinking someone had messed with my car or tried to steal it! The rotor was completely disintegrated inside the distributor cap and everything seemed like it was installed correctly too. If the cap were not on correctly it would have certainly been knocked off with as much destruction was done inside. I had other engine issues and relpaced the engine, but re-used the distributor, it fired up just fine. Does anyone know if there is an inherent problem with certain years, I have other distibutors I can use? And, how do you identify a unit without the problem from the different year distibutors? I could not see any play in the shaft, no damage to the drive gear and it seems to work just fine now. I haven't put much time on the engine, but will definitely be watching this from now on.

Yeah, Keep an eye on it. I can't imagine its good for the timing or anything else for that matter. I bet more people have this problem than know.

Strange... maybe the problem is not in the dizzy itself, but poorly made cap/rotor? Do you guys remember what brand of cap/rotor you were using? Maybe there is a brand out there to stay away from.

Otherwise, the only ways that I can see this happening is:

- excessive play (up/down) in dizzy shaft. While driving, the slop is letting the rotor graze the cap and shred a bit off

- bent shaft causing the rotor to wobble

- rotor not fully pushed down, cap not seated straight

There is not a whole lot of clearance betwwen the rotor and cap, so it wouldn't take much to cause contact between them.

Should there be no play (up and down) at all in the dizzy shaft?

There should be virtually no play. I checked the FSM, but they don't show any specs for the shaft play that I could find.

No as long as you replace the components as listed in the Mazda maint schedule. I worked a parts counter for many years and never heard of any problems with Mazda dizzy components.

this distributer was in the car when i bought it,maybe ill go out and try and find a new one today.i need my performance back,and as long as that dizzy is shredding i cant rev up at all without it trying to die:wallbash:

No reports on UK forum about this problem and I've never had an engine miss a beat due to dizzy problems in 25 years driving 12 A's. After all, there's no load on the distributor shaft to speak of. They should be oiled very sparingly under the rotor arm, only every couple of years or so. Also use only original bits if you can get them.

Never had any problems with BOSCH cap+rotor replacements!

3 cars / 4 dizzys so far!

distributor update?
 

hey im sorry to bug you guys on this subject agen,but i have done everything and im still shredding distributor's,sum one please help me,i need an update or sumthing.i have replaced the whole intire distributor shaft and all!!!!!i cant figure it out:wallbash: :wallbash: :wallbash: sum one please give me sum advise or somthing!:wallbash: :wallbash: :wallbash: :wallbash:

is it the gear at the bottom that is shredded?, possible its the gear in the front housing eating it up?

I had the same problem a number of years ago. I was tooling along on I-90 and had gone about 80 miles when all of a sudden, it was as if I turned off the key. It turned out to be a disintegrated rotor. Only happened that one time, which was probably 20 years ago.

well this is my third dizzy.its starting to really anoy me,do they make an MSD kit or anything,cus these normaly dizzys just aint working for me.

Usually when this happens, it is because the cap was put on crooked (which is easy to do). But after three dizzys.....

I wonder if maybe you have a different year dizzy than you think, and are therefore putting the wrong cap on?

Alt bracket is from an early externally regulated alternator and is the wrong shape for a tall exlectronic dizzy cap. Seen it shred a cap and rotor.

Another possibilty is the aluminum inner cover thing is installed wrong and cocking the cap to one side a bit. It is very important that the four tabs at the bottom of the aluminum thing should be seated down into the inner rim of the dizzy housing and do not allow two of the tabs to nestle into the plastic connectors for the ignitors because this WILL cause the cap to sit off center. It also makes it harder to push the two hold down clips onto their catches because the cap is sitting higher than it should; held off by the aluminum thing.

Uh, could anyone follow that? I don't know the correct names for these parts. :)

i followed you,thanks alot guys,my dizzy right now is F*cked so once i get a new one im going to try to see if i can get it all dialed in.thanks so much!