I am trying to get my Estelle ready for the Summer tours, so I have treated it to a Luminition electronic ignition module and a refurbed distributor. Big mistake - now it has stopped running altogether and I am totally stuck with what to do. Please read through what I have done/seen and if you can help me get my Estelle running again it would make my day - as it is I completely stumped and will now have to cancel tomorrow's MOT. Tired and cold with struggling :( so please forgive any typos.

1. Old points equipped distributor removed - note rotor arm at 1 o'clock position.

2. New distributor slotted in, but note that the rotor is at 7 o'clock - wrong?

3. Knock out pin securing dog at base of new ditstributor and rotate 180 degrees, then fit to car.

4. Fit distributor and Luminition and set timing (static). All seems OK at this point.

Tried car, but with engine electrics on, engine makes horrible lurches and no firing. With dizzy cap removed, engine turns over smooth.

5. Refit old distributor and connect Luminition to it.

6. Try car, horibble lurching remains.

7. Refit points/capacitor, but find it imposible to get static timing lined up without turning the distributor to a massive amount. Smething is not right...

8. Check position of rotor arm with timing at TDC comapred with a 130 - it is 180 degrees different - is this possible/correct?

To sum up, are all Estelles built so that the TDC mark when at zero will make the rotor arm face the same way? Are some cars 180 degrees different?

What is the lurching I am feeling when I turn the key?

How can the timing still be out when I have refitted the old system?

Could the lurching be something else I have not concidered?

Any guidance to help me out will be really appreciated as my car is now silent and dead in the garage - a real shame.

Thank you for any guidance. Ian

Sounds like the distributor is going back in the wrong place.

Get the engine upto TDC on the compression stroke (valves closed) and fit the distributor so that the rotor arm points to the contact on the distributor cap that goes to no. 1 cylinder. Remember it takes two turns of the crank for one turn of the cam/rotor arm. This will give you a basic ignition timing setting which you can advance/retard later when the engine is running.

The lurching could be that the engine is trying to fire at totally the wrong time.

Dont you just love upgrades that cause problems!.. Ok if you are going with the points set up start from scratch..Remove the dizzy and the rocker cover.Turn the motor over till the TDC marks are aligned..to check its firing on number 1 not 4 make sure the valves on no 1 are both closed (1 being water pump end) If you havent disturbed the leads (moved them around in the cap) look where number one lead is and fit the distributor with the rotor arm on or near the number 1 lead.The rotor turns clockwise and the order is the common 1,3,4,2.Refit everything else and gap the points.This should get it started,if it does then switch off and then time the car ...Depending how critical you want to be there are various methods but the easiest is to set it on the static timing mark , remove the cap,switch on the ignition then advance the dizzy till the points spark then just turn back the slightest fraction .this should put well within tolerance though it sounds crude and basic..If you have any problems I have an 87 estelle and can take pics of where the rotor arm should be etc and mail them to you if this would help

Thank you both so much - have it runing now! Did not realise 2 turns of the crank was 1 turn of the rotor arm. If this is the case, does it matter if the distributor into it's slot on turn one of the crank or turn two?

I think the engine was badly flooded with my efforts - and the fuel is a bit old as well.

Ian

When it's at TDC and firing on no. 1, one crank turn will take it up to the top of the exhaust stroke (exhaust valve open), the rotor arm would have gone half a turn and be firing on cylinder 4 (assuming a firing order of 1,3,4,2, I do not know what this is on the Estelle). It does matter on which turn you fit the distributor.

Given the above it sounds like you got the distributor 180 degrees out and the noise that you were hearing was it was trying to fire when the exhaust valves were open.

It's good to hear that you got it sorted.

We used to find with the Estelles that to get them started after they had been standing for a while, was to give them full choke and frantically pump the accelerator pedal whilst cranking them over.

Easy thing to do..! If its running its correct.... The mistake comes when you set it up on the wrong stroke .Now that you have done it once you will have no more problems ..the same theory applies if you wish to try the electronic set up too..Glad its sorted ..

I second Fordfan,s starting method...works everytime!!:handshke:

Once again thank you - I really appreciate all your help:thumbup:.

Ian

Sometimes people use Favorit Distributors and these run backwards lol

Also every car ive had with Luminition ignition ive always reverted back as theve always broken down on me. Now I just use the points condensor way and carry a spare condensor with me at all times. Ive never known a make of car to eat them as much as what old Skoda's do????