Performance Distributors

Having a vehicle to take you to your destination makes life so much easier, because you simply sit in it, turn the key and then drive to where you need to go. Of course, this means you want it to be running at its best every time you need it, and to achieve such a goal you will need to maintain it. Maintenance means replacing parts when they break or, preferably, before they break. The distributor is no exception to this rule.

You know that your engine burns fuel to provide power to your wheels, and an integral part of this process is the distributor. It provides power to each individual spark plug, which in turn causes an instant spark and makes the fuel explode in the cylinder to provide power. The distributor works extremely quickly to provide power to each spark plug at exactly the right time, and any minor errors in the timing of it can cause serious problems.

It is mounted directly onto the engine by a mounting shaft, which spins at the right speed for the power of the engine. It is covered by a distributor cap to protect it from the heat and vibrations of the engine, because the internals are susceptible to those. These internals are spun at a very high speed and every time it matches up with an individual spark plug, it will cause power from the ignition coil to move through it and into that spark plug, where the explosion occurs. If you were to look at it while it was working you would barely be able to see it because it spins so quickly, but it is actually timed to perfection.

Even though the internals are shielded from the heat and vibrations of the engine, the shielding is not going to last forever. The biggest problem your distributor faces is its very location, because the internals will be seriously damaged in next to no time once the shielding begins to fail. Other problems can include things like the mounting shaft cracking or breaking, the rotor inside the distributor no longer being able to spin properly because of a bad bearing or a crack, or even the connections inside the distributor breaking down so power is not sent to the plugs.

When any or all of these problems occur, you will be notified quite quickly by a number of symptoms that can almost sneak up on you. If the engine begins to idle roughly, perhaps only occasionally before getting worse, it can be a sign of a failing distributor no longer providing the spark to the plugs in the right order. If you feel a loss of power, or a hesitation from the engine when you put your foot down, it can also be a sign. In the very worst case scenario, you may find the engine simply will not run, but replacing your distributor as soon as you identify it as the problem can prevent this.