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Re: Distributors

To: boballen@sky.net
Subject: Re: Distributors
From: gofastmg@juno.com (Rick Morrison)
Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 18:13:40 EDT
Sorry folks, but I've got to jump in here on Bill's team.

On Tue, 22 Sep 1998 09:47:16 -0500 "Robert Allen" <boballen@sky.net>
writes:
Major SNIPOLOGY

>>>> Bill said:
>>I guess they had all found a source of parts for the Lucas to allow 
>them to
>rebuild them to new spec, and didn't feel the need to re-invent the
>figurative wheel. <<<
>
>Yeah, I guess so. I imagine a lot of racers are on a first name basis 
>with a
>machinist since their choosen hobby is to take a perfectly 
>servicveable
>motor, cram as much horesepower into it as they can, and then detonate 
>it
>with their right foot. Makes the purist in me shudder.
>
>But, say Bill, as you seem to have been the appointed relevancy 
>expert, how is your racer story relevant to just about all the people on
this 
>list, >anyway? I mean, what does a racer care about distributors? 

I don't know what other racers care about distributors, but I want one
that will be consistent from 1000 RPM up to and beyond (if neccessary)
the red line. It must be deadly accurate, both at top end and mid range.
The advance needs to be smooth, consistent, and flexible enough for me to
modify it should the need arise.

His only  concern is that, at wide open throttle, a spark happens at the
right time. So 
>what?

See above

>We plebians who drive our cars on the street have a few other 
>requirements. We expect the car to have the right spark at the right
time at idle. 
>We sorta hope that vacuum advance will give us a smoother motor and a 
>little better econonmy. We often expect our cars to run 1,000s of miles 
>without mechnical problems while racers measure longevity in laps. Some
of the
>performance folk may actually care about total advance to get long 
terrm >performance without putting skylights in our pistons. And we
actually 
>spend very little of our time with the throttle to the floor. Midrange 
>performance is paramont.

 With a foot in both camps, so to speak, I'm a bit confused about this
paragraph.
 With both cars (race and street) I want the right spark at the right
time at idle, at midrange, on acceleration and at top end.
 The statement about vacuum advance is the only this that isn't relevent
to racing. Race cars don't generally require them. 
 I expect my street car to give 1000's of miles of service, and granted
the race car is measured in laps. So? Without the big bucks budgets (and
lack of funds is the common denominator of the VAST majority of racers) I
need to have my race cars last at least a full season with out mechanical
problems. Hopefully, that translates into MANY MANY laps. 
 If you are so down on competition, you have a real problem. Too much of
MG history is taken up by racing and motorsport cometition, begining with
Old Number 1.  

>So, Bill, what might be the relevancy of your turgid racer clique 
>stories?

An even better question might be, "What has all this snobbery about being
just a street driver have to do with the question of distributors?" 
 Unless there is a bit of envy maybe?

Rick Morrison
72 MGBGT
74 Midget
>Bob Allen, Kansas City, '69CGT, '75TR6
>
>
>


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