Daft distributor question

In a points dizzy there's a wire goes from the points round to the terminal for the condenser, does the wire have to be insulated? The wire itself is intact.

My old 009 the insulation on this wire burnt/melted off, so is it still usable ?

 

Yes should be insulated as it's live half the time , stick up a pic to be sure you mean what I think

 

Wang some photos up mate.
Impossible to say without seeing what state its in!

 

When i was trying to get my new engine going i tried putting this 009 back in but connected to wrong terminal on coil, hence melted ins

 

Should be insulated.

 

Yup. If it grounds to the dissy body, your sparks will stop.

 

I don't think that qualifies as a daft distributor question. Something along the lines of "can I contact the dead using my distributor"?, that would be better.

 

Fit new points and Condensor and will be fine

 

Or "Can I shave my legs with my distributor?"

 

Cool I'll fit new bits and keep in van as spare

 

If you did the "wrong terminal" thing, check the copper braid inside that grounds the breaker baseplate. That can burn out as well.

 

Do that. It's a 009. Noone will miss it.

 

worth having a mechanical spare for when your electronic one goes fubar

 

But only if you know how to fit it. It would be easier to have a spare electronic module if you like carrying parts around.

 

Worth having the distributor with a condenser and the clamp fitted up and pre-set to 7.5 degrees and left in the bus. Then you undo the nut behind the previous distributor and drop the spare one back in pre-timed and ready to go.

Or buy a Pertronix or Accuspark module and a re-con Bosch SVDA and you will never have to adjust the points again. And your timing will be correct and not too advanced like a Chinese SVDA manages to achieve (why they "feel better")

So your engine will live longer.