Distributor: Description and Operation

Typical Distributor Components:

The distributor has a separate coil which connects to the rotor through a high tension wire.

The distributor uses a magnetic pick-up assembly located inside the distributor consists of a permanent magnet, a pole piece with internal teeth, and a pick-up coil. When the teeth of the timer core, rotating inside the pole piece, line up with the teeth of the pole piece, an induced voltage in the pick-up coil signals the electronic module to trigger the coil primary circuit. The primary current decreases and a high voltage of 35,000 volts is induced in the ignition coil secondary winding which is directed through the rotor and secondary leads to fire the spark plugs. The capacitor in the distributor is for radio noise suppression.

This distributor also features a longer spark duration, made possible by the higher amount of energy that is stored in the coil. This is desirable for firing leaner mixtures.