Another Distributor question.

[The Shipley Squirrel]

I’ve been following the thread about Lucas DKX distributors and rotor arms on Scotts but my ’49 Flyer is fitted with a Lucas DKY 2A distributor.
It revolves anticlock as viewed from the top / cap end. Is this correct for the bike or has it had the wrong one fitted at some time in its past ?
I cannot see any number stamped on the baseplate refering to any degrees advance.

I do need a good cap for this distributor if anyone has one as the one currently on it is damaged.

Any help appreciated.

Mark.

[James]

I’ve been researching this for a few weeks. The Lucas distributors were listed in the Lucas catalogs by their engine driven direction. That would be clockwise for a Scott, however the rotor spins counter clock wise when viewed spinning the engine over and watching the rotor turn. See this ebay listing( not all Scott distributor stuff) . The correct Lucas rotor number for a Scott is #400051 , and it shows the its direction , by an arrow as counter clock wise. I just bought an cap off ebay for the Lucas distrib, # 400136.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/190999709369?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[The Shipley Squirrel]

Thanks for that info James.
Does your catalogue show the differences between a DKX and a DKY distributor ?

Mark

[James]

yes it does,
prefix “KY” = Die cast body with pressed steel contact breaker plate

prefix “K” = small cast iron body with moulded contact breaker base and die-cast auto advance weights

prefix “X” = Hardened steel auto advance mechanism

[BRIAN MARSHALL]

The correct Lucas model is DKX2A, the ‘A’ standing for anticlockwise. Very similar distributors, but with four-cylinder type caps were used by countless small cars in the 1930s, 1940s, and early 1950s, notably the Ford Model Y ‘Tudor’, so classic car specialists can supply all sorts of parts for them. The early Royal Enfield vertical-twin Meteor also used the DKX2A. I have a July 1950 Scott-Lucas leaflet for these distributors, and no doubt our Librarian Dave Bushell also has it and will be able to supply a copy. The rotation direction of magnetos and distributors is defined by looking at the DRIVE end, not the points end !
Brian

[James]

@BRIAN MARSHALL wrote:

The correct Lucas model is DKX2A, the ‘A’ standing for anticlockwise. Very similar distributors, but with four-cylinder type caps were used by countless small cars in the 1930s, 1940s, and early 1950s, notably the Ford Model Y ‘Tudor’, so classic car specialists can supply all sorts of parts for them. The early Royal Enfield vertical-twin Meteor also used the DKX2A. I have a 1951 Scott-Lucas leaflet for these distributors, and no doubt our Librarian Dave Bushell also has it and will be able to supply a copy. The rotation direction of magnetos and distributors is defined by looking at the DRIVE end, not the points end !
Brian

See the attached, scanned from a Lucas equipment catalog for Motorcyles for an explanation of what the “A” stands for , or I am I missing something? Yes it is determined by the drive end.

[James]

@James wrote:

@BRIAN MARSHALL wrote:

The correct Lucas model is DKX2A…….. The rotation direction of magnetos and distributors is defined by looking at the DRIVE end, not the points end !
Brian

See the attached, scanned from a Lucas equipment catalog for Motorcyles for an explanation of what the “A” stands for , or I am I missing something? Yes it is determined by the drive end.

What direction does this rotor spin? It came out my Scott, is it wrong?

[BRIAN MARSHALL]

Hi, To avoid any confusion, the distributor turns clockwise when viewed from the DRIVE end, so when viewed from the points end the rotation is anticlockwise. The Lucas leaflet for all the electrical equipment on the 1950 Flying Squirrel states the following:-

Points gap .010″ to .012″

Contact breaker spring tension 20 to 24 ounces measured at contacts.

Condenser capacity .18 to .23 microfarads.

Centrifugal advance commences at 300-500 distributor rpm, with maximum advance of 17 to 20 degrees at 2900 rpm.

The rotor arm part number 400051 shown in a previous posting is correct. I hope this will clarify things !!
Brian

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