So I have a '90 B2200. Over the past few months, I have been experiencing an issue with the distributor. It seems that the rotor likes to get eaten. What I mean by that every few moths, I have to change out the rotor due to it exploding, usually on the side of the road. From the witness marks, I have seen on the rotor, it is hitting the cap. I have checked the shaft for play, there is a bit left and right but that seems alright, nothing like the bushing is shot or anything. However there is a bit of play upwards, I'd say a quarter of an inch. I have also noticed that the vacuum advance is not working.

I assume that both of these issue's, are caused by a failing distributor. If not what could cause this?

 

I think it might be time for a new distributor, that play up/down seems like a lot, plus the vacuum advance. You can test to see if your carburetor is actually pulling vacuum, and also test that when a vacuum source is put on the vacuum advance that it holds vacuum and also causes rotational movement in the distributor.

I've only partially taken apart a B2200 distributor, and I've attached what I did.

 

I would try to source a used one.......check out the Facebook sites and see if someone has a unit for sale. Most of the online parts stores are showing EFI units. Where I did find a place with a standard electronic distributor, it was nearly $200.00. Unless your truck is an EFI truck!

 

Well I'm lucky or not, depending on which side of the coin you are on. Since my truck has a 32/36 weber on it. I ran into the same problem of trying to find one for a '90 B series with a carb. However looking at the distributor, I found one that is similar to the one in my truck. It was for an '89 B series. Fingers are crossed that it will work. Since my other truck, my ol Tin Grill is collecting weeds and wasps. So the lil mazda is the current daily, till the other one is drive-able.

Also $200 ain't bad. Perks of working for a parts store, and getting a discount. The one I bought was only $225, compared to the $300 for a normal customer.

 

When I recently bought the new distributor for my carbureted 1988 B2200, I was careful to ensure that the picture showed a distributor with the 2-wire cable.

The EFI distributors appear to have a harness with 4 contacts.

 

So, instead of creating a new thread. I'm going off of this one. I have installed my new distributor. The truck is no longer eating up rotors. However a new problem arose. I swear it's like wack a mole with this truck, one thing stops being an issue, then another one pops up.

This time the truck is popping at idling, like a backfire. So I changed the plugs, plug wires, cap, and a rotor. It still does it, intermediality. It also has burbled, and backfired a bit after letting off the gas.
What other issues could this be a cause of?

Since the bolts on the carb, on all the way tightened. So no vacuum leaks, I assume. Though I did not use any kind of sealant, like aviation gasket maker on the adapter plates. My carb is at 2 turns out, on the Air fuel mixture screw. It idles, at about 700 rpm, rough guess as I do not have an rpm gauge. I also had to time it by ear, since none of my timing guns want to work on my Mazda. They work on every other truck that I own.

 

Was the distributor "stabbed" on gear tooth off?


As per the timing light: does it not flash at all when connected to the battery terminals and the #1 spark wire? If so, did you try a different spark lug wire just to see if it flashes?

Show us a picture of distributor with cap off while at TDC #1 so we can also see where the mounting bolt is in the "arc".

Also see B22TimeCheck.html

 

So I am at work. However when I did stab the distributor in. It was at the same point in the picture you referenced. I assumed it was a gear off too. However the top cam gear pin was at 12 o clock. So it seems it wasn't a gear off.

As for the timing light. I checked on 2 plug wires. Positive to positive on battery and neg to neg on battery, the wire clip was on the plug wires. It does not flash on my Mazda. On my dodge clear as day.