Pitted/Burnt rotor-cap contacts on 87 Conti 302

[wixomhead]

Hi, what might cause this condition only after 12K miles on brand new parts, incl plugs, wires, cap, rotor, proper timing, etc.

Searched and found info from pro-five-oh on TFI recall, but that link indicated only 1986-87 Continental (3.8L) is affected, which makes NO sense, and I'm loath to trust a link with such dubios info.?....http://www.coolcats.net/tech/troubleshooting/tfi.htmlDir apprec!!!!

[pro-five-oh]

I had a WELLS cap/rotor on my Lincoln once...it did that after about 10k. What brand did you use and are the contacts solid brass?

[Nick]

Welcome fellow MAer!

A Ford Motorsport cap and rotor aren't that much more if yours is bad.

[gadget73]

Depends what material was used on the cap/rotor. Aluminum burns up faster than brass, and if your plug wires are high resistance, that can also burn out the cap/rotor faster.

Pretty much all Ford motors in the 80s had a TFI module. They pretty much work or they don't. It doesn't have much to do with burning out the cap and rotor.

[Steve Moran]

Check plug gap.
The OEM cap had aluminum contacts but the brass are much better. What brand (better yet) what part number of plugs and wires did you use?
Pref not Platinum plugs copper only in these cars, Platinum require to hot of spark and add accelerated wear on plug wires, cap and, rotor.
plus shorten the life of the coil tenfold.

[nicholas77586]

its was probally just bad aftermarket parts, Go brass if you can.

like mentioned, the platinum plugs could do this, they are not high performence they are low matmience which is why new cars need thier first tuneup at 100,000 miles.