D45 distributor points/condensor fitting

[Clifford Pope]

I'm talking about the later kind of points that don't have the traditional threaded post with plastic insulation sleeves, but the kind where the spring sits in a plastic saddle looking a bit like the shoes that railway lines rest on.
Mine had been bodged by soldering the condensor wire to the feed wire because the joint connector had broken off. Now I want to fit a new set of points and condensor and am unsure how the little joining link attaches to the spring in the plastic saddle. Am I correct to press it into the slot in the bent-over loop at the end of the spring?
I can't see what else to do, but there is a pip on the link which would mean forcing it into the slot and spreading it quite a lot. Is that correct?

Pictures I can find only show the components separately, not fitted together.

[Clifford Pope]

On further investigation Iremember the problem I had last time. The lower connection on the little metal strip seems perilously close to shorting to the base of the contact assembly. That is what I remember - there was nothing to keep the bit of metal in the upper position in the springy loop, and it did indeed spark to earth. Hence why I cut off the lower terminal clamp and soldered the condensor wire to the upper. That was fine until I needed to replace the condensor, which needed access to a soldering iron.

But I can't see any other way of fitting it. Do you crimp it round the contact spring? Wedge it behing the spring in its seating in the plastic sadle?

[Charles H]

It wedges behind the spring. The plastic insulator should keep it from touching the base plate.

[Clifford Pope]

Sorry, you mean between the spring and the plastic shoe thing?
That doesn't seem very secure - the spring sits quite neatly in the groove in the plastic, but putting the connector behind it doesn't seem to leave much to hold it all in place.
Is there a photo somewhere of what this looks like?

[johnnydog]

This photo taken from an MGB site may assist -

http://www.mgb-stuff.org.uk/points.htm

The D45 points are clearly shown in the 9th photograph found by scrolling down on the above link.

[Clifford Pope]

Still missing something.
There is a picture of the points, and there is a picture of the combined condensor and feed wire, but no picture to indicate how they connect together?
I'd already tried forcing the flat connector into the spring loop, but that put the lower crimped connection too close to the base, hence the soldered connection at the top.

[Charles H]

The condenser and low tension supply wires are supplied as one with a brass flat blade in between part no GSC109. this slides into the folded end of the spring steel as shown on the photograph with the wires facing away from the post on the points. The post has the plastic insulator on it against which the brass 'blade' rests. Do you have the correct condenser? It should be pretty obvious when you have the correct parts. Good luck.

[johnnydog]

Further to what Charles has said, the jointing piece between the two wires does slide quite easily into the folded tab at end of the spring. It has a small dimple in it to aid its retention in the folded tab at the end of the spring. It is also recessed in the centre, a bit like the side profile of the grommet on the top of the suspension turret, which keeps the edge away from contact with the base plate. If you have the correct points and condensor it should be clear how they assemble when they are in front of you. Is the jointing piece between the two wires flat or is it offset where the dimple is? Maybe if the jointing piece is flat you have a duff set of points, or some Chinese imported make which isn't like the original Lucas?!?

[Clifford Pope]

Got it now! The new points that have just arrived have a slightly different metal plate from the one on the car, and the base is more cut away at the side of the support post to clear the lower terminal on the connecting link. Mine seems to have been designed for a set up where both wires are attached at the top.

Thanks everyone.

[Charles H]

Result!