I'm in the process of fitting electronic ignition to my HY-72 - more because the old distributor was on its last legs than because I thought I'd improve the van's performance very much.

But I also thought that I'd use the 123 version with a vacuum advance, on the off-chance that it might reduce the detonations in the silencer when going downhill.

My question is about what a vacuum tube might be. I've been supplied with the two brass spigots, one of which will fairly soon be tapped into the inlet manifold under the carburettor (the other is in place on the side of the distributor). They are both 5mm diameter. What kind of tube slides on to them? Is it rubber or plastic, and what do I need to ask for? Should it be slightly undersized?

My only previous experience of vacuum advance/retard was an old Morris 1000. On that the tube was narrow copper pipe, with a thick rubber section pipe to join it to the distributor.

Advice would be appreciated, thanks.

Try these guys
http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/V ... /hoses.php
http://caterhamparts.co.uk/product.php?id_product=2396

Come on Subaru Pete you must know better, take a look at my ignition that's the perfect vacuum hose right there....

download/file.php?id=6509&t=1

(The black hose)

So Dennis I have plenty of this stuff so if you pm. me your adress and how much you need I will ship it to you...

Geo - that's really very kind of you. I have PM-ed my details. Thanks!

it only comes with a 1-2- spark though

Loving my new one

Thanks very much to lpgo (Geo) - with the length of vacuum tube that he kindly sent me, my H-van is now getting the benefits of electronic ignition. I'd never have found the right stuff straight away myself: it's 4mm internal diameter for a 5mm spigot, and the difference is the amount the plastic stretches.

Whatever other benefits there may be from electronic ignition - and 123 claim that I'll get better fuel economy! - it is at least not stalling each time I pull up, which was getting embarrassing.

Next job is the tappets. Not been touched for at least 15 years.....

I think it's a shame 123 can't and doesn't supply you a vacuum tube....so you need to go to a "rival" to make 123 work....

bon route

salut Geo..

Dennis,
Maybe you've got your servicing/maintenance tasks in the wrong order.
Just like those folk who buy a Super coil and fully electronic ignition to 'cure' starting and running problems on their A series, when servicing it properly ( including adjusting valve clearances) would probably have done the job...

Ken - I'm always grateful for your advice, but you may have missed what I said in my first post:



The old SEV distributor, which I am sure is the original fitted 50 years ago, had quite a bit of play on the shaft, which meant that setting the gap was almost a waste of time: you could push the rotor arm from one side to another (I don't just mean against the advance springs) and change the gap you'd just set. The shaft is supposed to be lubricated by a drop or two of oil under the rotor arm on the felt pad, but I suspect this had been skipped more often than not. There's a degree of lubrication from hot oil vapour rising from the sump, but the H distributor is quite a long way up from there, and that's clearly not been happening - running too often on short journeys, perhaps? Tickover could only be a bit fast: it needed a few extra revs to keep it going (it doesn't now). The van was used pretty infrequently, and that might have contributed to the wear.

I may be a little over-cautious, but about 35 years ago I found myself spending an unplanned weekend in Germany when the distributor in my old Saab 95 failed for much the same reasons (luckily it was the Ford V4 engine then still used in German Fords).

Probably I could have replaced the distributor with a similar model, but what would that have cost?

I'll report back on the tappets (once I've got the gasket set, of course - I'm expecting the rocker box cover gasket to be fifty years old too).

The new set-up with electronic ignition is running very nicely indeed. The engine idles very well, even when cold.

When I prised off the rocker cover to do the tappets, after much loosening and tightening of the nuts I eventually concluded that the tappets had probably been about right they way they were. But of course the difference is (a) I now know they are set to the right gaps, so if there's a problem it's something else, and (b) I have found out how to find and set my own tappets....