I'm still in trouble with my replacement distributor.

[Offgrid]

This has turned into a bit of a nightmare. I've managed to get a couple of spare distributors. One is a bit bashed with a broken connector for the hall effect sensor. The other looks to be almost new, but with a bit of surface rust from storage, I fitted the newer one, and don't get a spark to the plug. I put the end of the lead from the coil near to the exhaust manifold, and I get a meaty spark. The engine is a B200E with the distributor on the head.

My knowledge of electronic ignition is a bit limited. I assume the hall sensor causes the break in the LT ignition wire to create the HT spark. Is this correct? If so, then I assume that if the hall sensor is faulty, then I won't get a spark. The rotor and contacts in the head look clean and free of pits. The plugs look to be in good condition, and are a nice biscuit colour. The engine was running well before the distributor went missing. I've tried two leads on the no 1 plug, and I don't get a spark.

I'm going to buy a new set of leads, but I'm not confident that will cure the problem. So what is it that I don't understand about the setup?

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Offgrid

This has turned into a bit of a nightmare. I've managed to get a couple of spare distributors. One is a bit bashed with a broken connector for the hall effect sensor. The other looks to be almost new, but with a bit of surface rust from storage, I fitted the newer one, and don't get a spark to the plug. I put the end of the lead from the coil near to the exhaust manifold, and I get a meaty spark. The engine is a B200E with the distributor on the head.

My knowledge of electronic ignition is a bit limited. I assume the hall sensor causes the break in the LT ignition wire to create the HT spark. Is this correct? If so, then I assume that if the hall sensor is faulty, then I won't get a spark. The rotor and contacts in the head look clean and free of pits. The plugs look to be in good condition, and are a nice biscuit colour. The engine was running well before the distributor went missing. I've tried two leads on the no 1 plug, and I don't get a spark.

I'm going to buy a new set of leads, but I'm not confident that will cure the problem. So what is it that I don't understand about the setup?

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.

[Forrest]

I don’t have any personal experience of this type of Volvo engine.

My first thought is that it’s likely to be something simple, like the distributor cap or rotor arm referred to above.

There are a couple of tests, one very easy, for the hall sensor in the FAQ:

https://www.volvoclub.org.uk/faq/Ele...ng_Hall_Sensor

I’ve attached an article from a prior edition of the Owners’ club magazine that may be of assistance to you. It also references a Volvo Green Book which might be worth trying to get hold of. There used to be an online repository of them, but I think it’s no longer available.

Good luck getting to the bottom of it.

[Offgrid]

Thanks once again for the helpful comments and advice. I forgot to mention that I had tried the "night owl" test - spin the engine in the dark, and look for blue corona lights on the cable and tracking on the distributor. There was no sign of any. It looks as if the problem is with the cap or the leads. I'll take the cap off again, and do a resistance test.

The bolts in the distributor cap are really difficult to reach. I've got a milwaukee 3/8 cordless wrench, and, if I can find it, I'm hoping that will make it easier to remove the bolts. Then I'll check the resistance between the collector pin in the cap and the central electrode in the plug.

[Forrest]

Yes, the bolts on the head-mounted Volvo distributor are a pain. I found a 1/4" flexible shaft and a cordless driver worked quite well on most of them in combination with a ratcheting spanner and 1/4" socket for initial loosening and final torqueing.

Not the greatest piece of design work by Volvo when you consider how accessible the original block-mounted distributor on the B-series engines was.

[bob12]

Having replaced the dissy cap and rotor amongst other things a month ago I can agree it's a real pain in the backside as I commented on at the time.

The most awkward screw/bolt to undo is that on the off side. You just have to work out what's the best form of attack for you. I ended up using a small ratched and a short extended socket plus a screwdriver bit in a socket on a small ratched for some.

No wonder I had put it off for 20 years! However, I was greatly surprised in how good condition the cap and rotor were in. Although I replaced them they could have easily gone back with a little clean up.

[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