I'm still in trouble with my replacement distributor.

[SalvadorP]

Originally Posted by Clan

have you got a VOLVO distributor cap and rotor arm, ie lacquered on the inside? the spark is very powerful and will find the easiest way to earth . caps and rotor arms you get elsewhere are not lacquered and therefore prone to tracking.
New volvo leads are worthwhile after all this time but if you get new non volvo leads they may well be worse than what you already have.



you are right in what you say about the hall sensor.

I don't understand why people are so adamant that it has to be OEM. I mean, the cap and rotor are Bosch. Can't the leads be Bosch too? I've bought some bosch leads (black friday too, they cost like 20€+/-) recently to replace the the original ones with 500k km, that apparently were still working fine, and I'm happy with the quality.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by SalvadorP

I don't understand why people are so adamant that it has to be OEM. I mean, the cap and rotor are Bosch. Can't the leads be Bosch too? I've bought some bosch leads (black friday too, they cost like 20€+/-) recently to replace the the original ones with 500k km, that apparently were still working fine, and I'm happy with the quality.

Its pretty easy, I have already explained the unique differences in my previous message.After working on volvos on a professional basis since the 1970's I have come to realise you wont get better quality ignition parts anywhere . Even "Bosch" leads today are inferior to volvo ones 30 + years old and worse still compared to the blue wire cored leads on a 240 . Volvo ignition systems have always been very high energy output so demand the very best parts available to work reliably in -30C wet environments in Sweden 👍

[SalvadorP]

Originally Posted by Clan

Its pretty easy, I have already explained the unique differences in my previous message.After working on volvos on a professional basis since the 1970's I have come to realise you wont get better quality ignition parts anywhere . Even "Bosch" leads today are inferior to volvo ones 30 + years old and worse still compared to the blue wire cored leads on a 240 . Volvo ignition systems have always been very high energy output so demand the very best parts available to work reliably in -30C wet environments in Sweden 👍

Thankfully, i'm not in -30c hell, but in temperate iberia.
Anyways, I wasn't saying you are not right. I was being honest when I said I didn't understand why only OEM was acceptable.
Truth is I didn't have the cash to buy OEM. I bought a set on autodoc crap last year. One lead fell apart 6 months later when removing it on the plug side. So I put the old OEM ones in. And now replaced those with Bosch. I have to say those Bosch are definitely better than the white labled ones. But I'm still keeping the original ones with 500k+ km, just in case Bosch craps out.

[griston64]

I had Bosch leads on my 940 when I got it. Misfire and hesitation was awful. They fell apart when I removed them !! Pile of sh*te. Replaced with Bourgicord and been great ever since

[Offgrid]

If I get a fat spark from the plug when it is connected directly to the coil, then I am assuming the following parts are OK.
- The ignition coil
-The LT connection
- The Hall sensor
- The plug
- The single lead from the coil to the plug.
- The battery
- The ignition switch
- The starter

I've checked the Bosch distributor cap between the internal connections, and the carbon peg, and the outer pickup points, and all show no resistance. I've checked the leads and they show good continuity. I've managed to get an old cap that was working, and I'll clean that up after I've had a coffee, I'll see if that makes a difference. Just a reminder, the distributor is on the head, and not the older type by the block.

I keep wondering if I'm being stupid and not pushing the leads in far enough to make a good connection, but I've checked that 3 times, and they seem to be in far enough.

[Offgrid]

I've changed the cap, and still get the same result. The only thing I haven't tested is the coil cable linked directly to the plug cable. I'll chop the head off a nail tomorrow and link the two. Then if I turn the engine, I should get a spark at the plug. That will bypass the distributor. For these tests, I'm assuming that the timing is not relevant.

[Offgrid]

Surely timing is not relevant if the plug is lying on the exhaust manifold

[classicswede]

Originally Posted by SalvadorP

I don't understand why people are so adamant that it has to be OEM. I mean, the cap and rotor are Bosch. Can't the leads be Bosch too? I've bought some bosch leads (black friday too, they cost like 20€+/-) recently to replace the the original ones with 500k km, that apparently were still working fine, and I'm happy with the quality.

The Bosch leads are not really upto the job. They cause lots of misfire issues and when you are pushing them with higher boost levels the engine will jerk with them. They might work for a while but not long. You would think Bosch would make suitable leads but sadly not. Bouicord or Volvo Bougicord are teh leads to use. Things like magnacore would also be fine

Cap and rotor is best bosch. I have had a few other brand rotor arms fail, one moment running fine then all of a sudden no spark. Not the same brands either but same mode of failure within a couple of 1000 miles after fitting.

[classicswede]

Originally Posted by Offgrid

If I get a fat spark from the plug when it is connected directly to the coil, then I am assuming the following parts are OK.
- The ignition coil
-The LT connection
- The Hall sensor
- The plug
- The single lead from the coil to the plug.
- The battery
- The ignition switch
- The starter

I've checked the Bosch distributor cap between the internal connections, and the carbon peg, and the outer pickup points, and all show no resistance. I've checked the leads and they show good continuity. I've managed to get an old cap that was working, and I'll clean that up after I've had a coffee, I'll see if that makes a difference. Just a reminder, the distributor is on the head, and not the older type by the block.

I keep wondering if I'm being stupid and not pushing the leads in far enough to make a good connection, but I've checked that 3 times, and they seem to be in far enough.

Are you getting a pulsed spark from the coil? If so then all above should be working. If its just a single spark then the hall sensor or the EZK could have a problem

If you are getting a pulsed spark it could well be teh rotor arm. I have had a few non Bosch rotor ams just drop dead

[Offgrid]

I connected the two cables, and I'm getting a nice spark. I think it's a pulsed spark, but with all four pulses going to the same plug its fairly fast. I'm not sure what could be wrong with the rotor. It's a solid brass triangle in a plastic carrier. The other rotor I've got is a cheap T piece in a plastic carrier, and it's a bit corroded. I can see that could be a problem. I'm going to clean the scrap distributor I managed to get and see if I can get any life out of that.