stumped

[dero]

now.......how to get my hands on a new one is the question

[Zedrally]

any auto parts store will have one.

But.....before you do, remove the cap and check the wire. They are prone to breaking near the top and leaving the insulation intact.

If this is the case you can save yourself money by soldering the wire back to the top of the cap, finish off by securing the wire back around the body of the cap with electrical tape [this will prevent the wire from fatigue failure as happened], a drop of silicon sealant over your solder join and that's that.

Lots of luck, and keep us posted on your progress.

[Zedrally]

Just on a related point.

Another Zed owner friend of mine commented that when he changed his points he ALWAYS changed the cap.

I guess they can deteriorate over time and fail because of this.

[dero]

i resoldered the two wires inside the distributor last night, the two wires u can see when u take the cap off the distributor, i dont get what u mean "soldering the wire back to the top of the cap,"

i dont recall seeing any wires going to the top of the cap cept the plug wires......

[Zedrally]

sorry,

when I wrote "cap" I meant capacitor, not distributor cap.

[Ed]

I don't know about soldering anything inside the distributor. If that little bit of solder were to break free it would really bugger things up underneath.

First off the job of the capacitor is to "absorb" the spark that would normally appear at the points. If you didn't run a capacitor then the spark at the points would eventually make the points pit making them useless.

Get the points, capacitor, cap & rotor and spark plugs either from the nissan dealer or give Motorsports a call. Motorsports is in the Los Angeles area and they should be able to get you your parts within a few days.

When you install them do one thing at a time. Pop the cap off the distributor. Pull the rotor off. Loosen and remove the points. One screw is to hold it in place the other is for the adjustment. Remove and replace the capacitor. It fits only one way so make sure you get it right. Install the new points, make sure they sit right. The wire from the condenser should fit like a glove onto the points. Next set the gap on the points. Tighten up the screws. Insert the new rotor. It has a tooth for correct allignment so make sure you have it right (look underneath).

When replacing the cap I find it easiest to hold the new cap next to the one still in the car. Look at the little teeth on the side of the cap and make sure you have them the same. Do a dry fitting to make sure it will fit the distributor properly. Now replace one wire at a time so you don't get them buggerd up. Now replace the spark plugs.

Cross your fingers and if you did it all correctly it should start right up.

Finish off by setting the timing and your off!

[Zedrally]

Great walk thru ED,

I would just add one more thing.

Before doing anything, first set the engine so #1 cylinder is at Top Dead Centre.

This will make it so much easier in setting the point gap later and remember the firing order on the distributer is anticlockwise.