Firstly, may I extend a thanks to HJ for his invaluable CBC breakdown which pointed to distributor cap misery in my Girlf's Volvo 340. Saved me many hours.
I've changed the cap and I'm now looking to waterproof it. HJ mentions a special sleeve but initial inquiries have turned up nowt. It's so old now (the car not the Girlf) that I doubt I'll find one.
The bloke in the local car parts place gave me a rubber glove of the type surgeons and customs officers wear - any good?
Any views welcome.
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Would this fix using a glove encourage condensation? However I do seem to remember in my dim and distant past looking at a Pug 309 with some kind of plastic over jacket to protect the distributor cap.....
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I know nothing about the 340, but I assume it's like the old Mini problem with a distributor cap in a ridiculously exposed place? It used to be possible to buy sets of protectors for most cars - I would suggest a good spray with WD40 before fitting either the rubber glove or a proper sleeve. Have you tried looking for one for a Renault (same engine)? Possibly might find something in a big french hypermarket - they seem to have all sorts of goodies at sensible prices.
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They used to be essential on real Mini's - the distributor was very exposed.
If you can't find a mini specialist (and suprisingly, i can't find one on minisport's web site, then try a 4x4 specialist (someone who deals on off-roaders, not soft-roaders !)
didnt have time to check if you can actually buy one from here www.greenlaning.info.btinternet.co.uk/distributorc...m
hope this helps
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Bora - what Bora ?
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minispares - www.minspares.com offer a 'distributor cover' - no size or description
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Bora - what Bora ?
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Just try putting "Distributor Cover" into Google and you'll find a couple on there.
Mind you, be careful, because the picture of one of them looks like a cut-off rubber glove! I think someone has found a way of making money!
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Hello, without seeing it, it's difficult to know how to protect it...A bad idea could even create a mini-climate within the protective bag.
I would do what the others say, use some sort of insulating spray on the inside, silicone spray, WD40, even a very thin smear of vaseline...... try and keep it off the contacts, but go right up to them, it will help prevent carbon tracking, also wipe it clean on the inside when the car is serviced, to remove the wear-related dust which could allow an arc when damp.
Good luck!
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Sorry not familiar with the 340 but the only place water/damp can get in is thru the cap/body joint. is there a rubber ring in the joint? If yes you should not have a problem or just put a piece of thin wire under it to make it a bit more proud.
Otherwise get an old m'bike innertube or similar and make a wide elastic band to fit over the cap/body joint.
Good luck
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Thanks for all your prompt and wise replies so far. Especially Borasport, I know what I'm looking for now.
The 340 Distributor is badly exposed to the weather. You would hope that makes the cap easy to change, but not so.
There is only a plastic 'gasket' which comes with the cap.
I'll take a look in France when I'm there, but I won't give my card details over the net to order one unfortunately.
If anyone has any more good ideas I'm open to suggestion.
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I suffered from exactly the same problem with an old 214 Rover i once owned the coil sat behind the nearside headlight and every now and then water would manage to short out the coil connections. I found WD40 to dry out the water then copious quantaties of silicon grease applied around the terminals and boots of any connections cured the problem.
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Waxoyl is good for damp proofing electrical systems. On the side of the tin I have it recommends spraying the top of the coil, distributor cap and leads with the stuff. Hope this helps.
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Waxoyl certainly makes this claim - I was just about to suggest it, but with the rider that... we're told not to get grease onto leads/plugs etc. as this may cause arcing.
What do you BR boys have to say about this.
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Sorry but I would avoid Waxoyl on the dist cap. It will attract dirt that in turn could hold moisture and cause tracking.
Some cars have odd "covers" on the dist cap and they can all give rise to trouble. Some are like a posh plastic bag, others like a plastic secondary outer cap and some a metal shielding "can".
As mentioned by others all enable moisture to be trapped and make it damn near impossible to dry the cap out at the roadside.
A new clean, dry and untreated cap is the best on cars with no particular water splash problem.
I don't know the 340 in particular, I've managed to sidestep them over the years!! Where does the water come from?
About the only thing I've used with success in this circumstance is a large squash bottle with the top few inches cut off to make a roomy shroud. It needs to be one with a large neck/opening so all the leads can come out of it. Then the tapered neck, and finally larger bottle diameter itself, can sit over the distributor cap but with loads of clearance so there is no chance for condensation to form.
It is far better to have a loose arrangement like this with good airflow between cap and cover than some of the close fitting ideas mentioned earlier.
How you fit/arrange this diy cover depends of the way the distributor is situated and how the water hits it.
M.M
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Also the solvent in Waxoyl is white spirit, not something I'd want on hot parts of the engine unless you can leave it a week or so to evaporate.
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Holts makes an aerosol caled 'Damp Start' which I've used on many cars over the years - spray forms a plastic coating over distributor, plug leads, elec. units etc. Available from most motor factors.
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