Distributor ground wire

[anotherbluebus]

This distributor is in our '69 bus. The ground wire indicated with the red arrow in the photo is only attached at one end (the side wall of the distributor. It seems like it may have been soldered to the post where the spring is attached. Not anymore! Can this be successfully re-soldered? The wire seems a little crunchy and I'd prefer to replace it if possible. I have not been able to find any reference to this part to see if it is repairable or replaceable. A little help please?!

[ruckman101]

I ended up using a small jumper cable that slid onto the adjust screw for the points. A loop at both ends. I didn't make the little jumper cable, someone else had, but I stole it from a different distributor that I had. It's been working.


neal

[anotherbluebus]

I ended up using a small jumper cable that slid onto the adjust screw for the points. A loop at both ends. I didn't make the little jumper cable, someone else had, but I stole it from a different distributor that I had. It's been working.
neal

that sounds like a good solution... just to confirm... that upper end does attach to the post with the spring. Correct?

[anotherbluebus]

that sounds like a good solution... just to confirm... that upper end does attach to the post with the spring. Correct?

okay... after a little more research. This lead seems to attach to the breaker plate. It was originally soldered directly to the plate. Thinking I can drill and tap for a small screw to replace with a new ground wire with ring terminals at each end, or at least a loop. I've seen a couple of online photos showing that.

[Amskeptic]

that sounds like a good solution... just to confirm... that upper end does attach to the post with the spring. Correct?

okay... after a little more research. This lead seems to attach to the breaker plate. It was originally soldered directly to the plate. Thinking I can drill and tap for a small screw to replace with a new ground wire with ring terminals at each end, or at least a loop. I've seen a couple of online photos showing that.

Endeavor mightily and thoughtfully not to interfere with the easy movement of the plate. Vacuum only distributors need beautiful movement. The braided ground wires were flexible, do not use some 12 gauge stiff ground wire . . .

[hambone]

Use braided solder wick. It can be soldered to the plate but it takes a damn long time to get it hot enough. It's doable though.
Colin is right, if you use copper insulated wire it will break off. BTDT.

[anotherbluebus]

Thanks for the tip on the soldering wick.

Just to throw another monkey in the wrench drawer, I also happen to have a Pertronix Flamethrower distributor. I took it out when we were buying this bus and couldn't get it started. Figured it was toast. The PO had installed a new battery in the bus before he parked it & we later learned that he had put it in backwards. I felt that chances are pretty good that the reversed battery killed the Pertronix module, but my neighbor the electrical engineer gave me hope that there could be life. I just hooked that distributor up to a 12 volt drill battery and connected leads per an online bench test I found. The test showed a voltage fluctuation when I rotated the magnet assembly past the module. I think it may be alive. I am going to try installing the Pertronix and see if it will go. If not, I'll have the other distributor out and I can do the repair on the ground strap.

[anotherbluebus]

A follow up. I installed the Pertronix distributor and the darned thing works! Bus is running. Just because I couldn't leave it alone, I did the repair to the old distributor. I made a new ground strap using the solder wick that Hambone suggested. I am not an expert solder-er, but I'm hell on 18 volts with a drill....so I used tiny ring terminals at both ends of the ground strap and drilled a small hole in the one spot I could anchor that strap without getting in the way of the movement of the breaker plate. It turned out well, and then went on the shelf as a spare.