My experience of Bosch distributors is rather like "the little girl who had a little curl"...

Location: North Yorkshire

I hope these are readable. Click on thumbnails



Bryan

Thanks, Steve. Found it.
Charles ~ will email you a copy after I've been to pub for lunch.

Longfella [sic]

Location: North Yorkshire

On Jim's recommendation above I have emailed DistribDoc for prices, to compare both options.

For us without lathes, Steve, what gubbins am I going to need to buy to convert a 009 bought from the Powerspark chap?

I have a working DK4A (which I know nothing about), but no spares, so it makes sense to have something to swap over so I can assess my present unit with no time pressures.

Bosch 009's don't seem to have been made in Germany for some years.
They are recently South American or Chinese. Don't know if they're fakes or 'real'.

Well you'll need a lathe Jon!! The process to convert a 009 type distributor as bought is detailed in the photo of the article posted above. Click on the thumbnails and, when open, enlarge and it's all there.

If you haven't got access to a lathe, various suppliers sell them ready converted.

Steve

Location: North Yorkshire

The Distributor Doctor has these brand new DK4A distributors listed on his site as "Coming Soon in July 2015" and currently being exhaustively tested on his Austin 7 special.



Jeff.

Location: Almost but not quite, the far North East of England

I've had quite enough of Bosch distributor rotor arms. My daughter's VW Beetle failed near Bristol and the nice AA man replaced the original Bosch rotor arm with a new one with built in resistor. She didn't make it home to Stockport before the resistor failed, So guess who went and fixed it by bridging out the resistor. Now every time some else works on the car they change the rotor arm, for one with a resistor, it fails and I've got to solder a brass strip to it. I've just done another.

I have been using a Lucas 25D4 (40872) from Speedy Spares Services Ltd for the last 20 odd years on 2 A7's. They fit on without needing lathework and have vacuum advance. I fitted the first one because I couldn't get my pretend ulster with DK4 to rev over 4500rev/min without misfiring no matter what I tried.I even loctited the auto advance up solid. I think they were fitted to the Reliant Regal(Robin?) 600cc model. It's a long time since I fitted the last one and seem to remember it was a case of filing a little off the collar on the body of the distributor to obtain the correct meshing position of the skew gear.The distributor spigot dia was identical to a DK4. Except for the vacuum advance device I think they look more like an original than the Bosch (which is because they are Lucas.}
Dave.

Location: Sheffield

what does one do with the vacuum advance bit? Connect it somehow, or just have it sitting there?


Btw, the completely new alloy units (pictured a few posts back) from DistribDoc are to be "around £350 ish". (July 2015) Approx rebuilt of ones own unit - £185 plus VAT (so, £222).

Jon,
A piece of heat resistant flexible tube from a drilled and tapped hole in the inlet manifold to the vacuum unit. I will take a photo the next time I go into the garage.
Cheers,
Dave.

Location: Sheffield

Photos of pipe from manifold to vacuum adv. distributor.

style=""> Click on thumbnails to see bigger picture,
Cheers,
Dave.

Location: Sheffield

great, thanks. I'm learning. (That copper petrol pipe looks mighty close to the exhaust...!)

Provided the cam is symmetrical you probably could.... what about the new DK4 mentioned earlier, have they been released yet. I noticed previously that parts will also be available, the new advance weights in particular will help revive many an Austin 7 distributer.

Location: NZ

I have just taken another look at the Distributor Doctor site. There is no update on when the new manufacture DK4 distributors and advance weights will be released, so I have asked the question. I also noted that they do an electronic ignition kit to fit the DK4, both positive and negative earth versions are available.

Location: NZ

Martin at Distributor Doctor has come back to me, he tells me that he is experiencing some difficulties with machining the shafts so that will delay release of the complete new DK4 distributors. However on a more positive note the new advance weights will be available in three weeks time, these should allow most problems with wear in DK4 to be resolved.

Location: NZ

I have'nt followed this closely but am puzzled by the notion of an advance unit working either rotation? I have encounterd reversed units on other cars and it was very mystifying!
I concur with Charles P advice above. A Seven is likely to become just the basis for lathe projects, thus avoiding risk to life and limb on the road.

Bob Culver

Location: Auckland, NZ

I emailed accuspark. They confirmed that their website information about the Lucas unit was wrong.

I am still a bit confused about the apparent reduced mpg on all the automatic advance units, in comparison to good old ear/eye coordination from the steering wheel controls on the older manual distributor.

Is additional vacuum advance something which starts to give that efficiency back, in theory? Can the 009 be somehow used with the manual steering wheel controls too.. or indeed would this have any advantage?