brown7373

I saw a small blurb in one of the magazines recently about new rotors available that pay attention to the gap between the rotor and the distributor cap contacts. I know the quality control of all caps, points, condensers and rotors has declined in recent years and was wondering if anyone else saw this in the "New Parts" section of the magazine. It said how some rotors have a much larger gap than originally designed, and these caps had a much tighter one with less resistance. Sounds good, and I thought I might try one since I need to do a tune-up anyway.


Does anyone have the info on theses?

MDchanic

Ummmm... What magazine?

- Eric

brown7373

Not positive, but I think it was Hemmings Classic Car or Muscle Machines. But I also (used to) subscribed to High Performance Pontiac, it might have been in the last issue of that.

mrolds69

There ARE certain rotors that will make the gap closer. Original 60's and very early 70's rotors have a longer contact. It was shortened to stop noise in the radios and stereos. Maybe 70 or 71 they did that, those newer rotors are usually stamped with an "E" on the contact. I THINK ACCEL rotors are the long type, they were before. Maybe some other Hi-Po rotors are longer. Some of the old rotors the plastic was thicker, also. Some of the new rotors like Accel are thick, too.

MDchanic

Sounds like an interesting article. I searched those magazines and couldn't find it - Let me know if you turn it up.

- Eric

tru-blue 442

Subscribed.

mrolds69

Here is what I was talking about. Go down to post #12. I'm older than most and remember the change in rotors. I was drag racing then, and nobody racing wanted those newer rotors. http://www.v8buick.com/archive/index.php/t-39814.html

don71

This could be a good thing to discuss or at least think about.

I have never given it any thought, as I would assume they were all the same Didn't know there was a difference.

This does remind me of some of the spark plug gaps given on some Olds applications back in the late 70's. Like .060. I would never run that size of gap on my plug. Yet, its listed for some models. Maybe this has something to do with those settings considering the rotor gap?

MDchanic

Very interesting. I had no idea there were two types of rotors.

Good to know. Thanks.

- Eric

brown7373

Okay, I just found the magazine. It was in the September 2014 issue of Hemmings Classic Car under their new Products *& Parts. We pay close attention to the plug gap, and the point gap if we use them, so why not the rotor gap. I would think it is just as important in the ignition as the other two.

mrolds69

Sure,I thought you guys would like that article! Like everything else, the rotors today are not like the rotors of yesterday. But if you never saw the old ones, you wouldn't know...they were thick, heavy plastic. Some of the newer rotors by Delco are like white thin plastic...cheezy! Same with points...that's another whole story!

tru-blue 442

A very good read. Thanks for posting.

1970-W30

Two new rotors for both the 63 and 70 are in the works, pretty sure the current white paper thin rotors that are in there now are the large gap..... Thanks for the info guys.
Learning something new every day.......