keep chewing up rotors in distributor

[resq302]

Ok, Im going a little bonkers now.  This is the second time that the rotor tip has gotten messed up.  The rivet that holds the sping steel to the tip disappeared.  Whats weird is that this all started happening after I just changed out one of the advance springs inside the distributor.  Both times this happened.  What would cause something like this?  The rotor is fully seated onto the distributor shaft so I know that isn't the problem.  It runs fine for a while and then all of a sudden when we are driving it just comes apart.

Need some ideas since my parents tenatively have a show tomorrow that is a decent drive away.  Vehicle is our 70 challenger convertible, 340 v-8, auto. electronic ignition conversion mopar perf. kit.

Thanks,

Brian

[ACUDANUT]

Sounds like your Distributor needs to be replaced. 

[resq302]

Distributor was working fine prior to me pulling the top part of it apart and changing out the one spring for the mechanical advance.  It worked fine, car ran great and now all of a sudden within the past month, it started having the rotor get the rivet that holds the two pieces of metal together pop out.  I can't see how it would make it wobble and possibly make contact with the cap in order to make the rivet come off.   

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

You answered your own question when you said....

Distributor was working fine prior to me pulling the top part of it apart and changing out the one spring for the mechanical advance. 

take the rotor off & check if the spring is still attached to the weight....could be flopping around?

[chargerbr549]

Double check and make sure that the wire clip that holds the metal part that the rotor slides onto is still locked in place if not it could possibly allow things to become loose and wobble around?

[A383Wing]

take cap off, have someone crank engine over, look at rotor and see if it spins perfectly true without wobble. I bet something got bent or off center while putting dist back together

Bryan

[resq302]

Ok, pulled the distributor apart tonight while I was at my parents house.  Shaft is perfectly straight and not bent.  Everything that I took out I put back the same way and nothing was put back wrong.  What appeared to be happening was that the pressure from the spring steel contact was causing the rivet to come out of the hole which held the two pieces of metal together.  (the spring steel piece and the tip that went and made the spark to the tower).  I think what was happening was that the cheap arse Carquest brand rotor plastic was heating up and would cause the rivet to loosen up.  the new BWD (I think its Borg Warner) is a LOT thicker and more solid / heavier gauge plastic.  Hopefully this was the problem as every rotor that went bad was the Carquest brand one.