Rolls Royce Silver Spirit: DIY Repairs
I recently acquired a 1982 Rolls Royce Silver Spirit with 75k miles on the clock. The car was purchased from Flying Spares, and they had assured me that they’d resolved a starting issue by fitting a new switch box and a set of spark plugs. However, it quickly became clear that the cold start problem had not been fully fixed (and the plugs didn’t look new either – but I digress).
Rolls Royce Silver Spirit: The Symptoms
When I first collected the car, it didn’t start on the first attempt, though it fired up on the second try and drove home without a hitch, covering about 100 miles. For a few days after that, the car was temperamental in the mornings, often requiring multiple attempts to start from cold. Once the engine was running, it would sometimes cut out a few moments later, only to start again relatively easily. When warm, however, the car performed flawlessly, starting on the button every time.
One morning, it refused to start at all, even after a lot of cranking. The battery eventually began to lose power, and the smell of petrol told me that the engine had flooded. After recharging the battery overnight, I returned to it the next day. Again, it struggled to start from cold and cut out shortly after firing up. There was an intermittent buzzing noise near the driver’s side rear wheel, which I suspected could be coming from the fuel pump or a related relay.
At this point, it’s either put it in the garage or fix it myself.
Beware the “Specialists”
The nearest independent Rolls Royce specialist to me is Bowling Ryan in Manchester. They had looked after the car previously. I called them. The guy I spoke to seemed more interested in discussing the high costs of servicing and parts than fixing the car. It felt like he was trying to gauge how much I knew about mechanics and potentially set me up for a big bill. They wouldn’t even commit to let me drop it off. Apparently, there has been a management change there so Caveat Emptor. It seems to me if there isn’t the prospect of a big bill, they’re not interested.
I’m not a neophyte on mechanicals, and I suspect for that reason, the bloke from Bowling Ryan never even called me back. I didn’t want to bung it in a garage and have them change something simple like a £5 relay and charge me a grand for it. No other local garage wanted to touch it. So I had to break out the tools and fix it myself. How hard can 40-year-old electricals be for a practical bloke? The last petrol car I fixed was a Vauxhall Victor in the 80s, I’ve had diesel Range Rovers since then. But a Rolls Royce Silver Spirit has no black magic in it – it’s just another old car nowadays.
Testing for Spark and Fuel
Given the symptoms—intermittent cold starting, cutting out soon after starting, and the buzzing near the rear—it seemed likely that either the ignition or fuel delivery system was at fault. The key issue appeared to be that the engine was either not getting enough spark or was being flooded with too much fuel.
I started by testing for spark. I removed a spark plug after a failed start attempt and found it wet with petrol, indicating that it had petrol. More importantly, there was no spark when connected to a lead and held against the engine. This confirmed that the ignition system was the culprit, rather than a fuel-related issue.
At this point, I followed a process of elimination to track down the fault.
Step 1: Checking the Ignition Coil and Rotor Arm
Not sparking could be caused by either the ignition coil, the rotor arm or the ignition module. The first step was to check for a spark at the coil. If there’s no spark at the plug, but there is spark at the coil king lead, the rotor arm inside the distributor may be at fault. If there’s no spark at the coil lead either, it’s likely the coil or the ignition module.
To check the rotor arm, remove the dizzy cap, remove the main coil king lead from the cap, and hold the end of the coil lead to within an eighth inch of the centre of the rotor with gloves or insulated pliers. Then, have someone crank over the engine. If the sparks jump to the centre of the rotor, the rotor is faulty.
I checked the central HT lead coming off the coil. It was gunked up with corrosion and covered in green fur at the cap end. I cleaned it up with some sandpaper, and after that, the coil produced a weak spark. The engine fired up but only ran for about 10–15 seconds before cutting out again. It seemed I was on the right track, but the problem persisted. The spark wasn’t strong enough, and the engine would still die shortly after starting.
Step 2: Testing the Ignition Module
Given that the ignition coil was producing some spark, my attention turned to the ignition module. Rolls Royce Silver Spirits of this era came fitted with the Lucas Opus electronic ignition system, which is notorious for failing as it ages. The Opus module, located under a plastic cover in the distributor, controls the spark timing. A failed module could cause exactly the sort of intermittent starting and cutting-out issues I was experiencing.
I connected a test lamp between the negative terminal of the coil and earth (earth to earth is counterintuitive I know, but this is the test). When cranking the engine, the lamp should flash if the ignition module is working properly. In my case, the test lamp didn’t flash at all, confirming that the Opus ignition module had failed.
One of the common symptoms of a faulty Opus module is that it works when cold but starts failing as it warms up, but it can also work the other way, which could explain the progressively worse performance I was seeing. However, in some cases (like mine), it fails altogether, even when cold.
Step 3: Verifying the Fault
To verify that the ignition module was indeed the culprit, I conducted one final test. I removed all the wires from the negative terminal of the coil and checked if there was power at both the positive and negative terminals with the ignition on. If there’s power at both terminals, the ignition module’s internal transistor has shorted out, confirming it as the cause of the issue.
Sure enough, with the ignition on, both coil terminals were live, indicating that the module was faulty.
The Solution: Replacing the Ignition Module and Coil
At this point, I knew I had to replace the ignition module. There’s no point in buying another Opus module in my opinion. Even a “refurbished” one. We need a better, more modern set-up than 40-year-old technology.
After some research, I opted for the Pertronix LU-281A electronic ignition module, which is specifically designed to replace the Lucas Opus system. I also decided to install a Flamethrower 40011 coil to match the new module. You need this as the Pertronix modules need a 1.5 Ohm coil and the one fitted already (in my case a Valeo 245025) will be less.
I bought a LU-181A as you see above at first – but that’s wrong!
Important note: When replacing an Opus ignition module, it’s crucial to get the correct Pertronix replacement. While the LU-181A is often recommended online, it’s actually only meant for earlier cars with points ignition systems such as Silver Shadows. For the Rolls Royce Silver Spirit with an Opus system, the correct module is the LU-281A (or the ELEC5 if buying from from Flying Spares – same thing for more money). The 181 and 182 are the same, only the plastic bits that come with it differ.
Check your plug leads: On the Flying Spares website it says, “Please note that this kit is not compatible with cars with copper HT leads”. Is that true, or is it just an upsell? The advice on the FS website about silicone leads is right. Research tells me the LU-181A and LU-182A are designed to work with ignition leads that provide resistance to prevent high-voltage pulses from generating excessive EMI (silicone ones in other words). Copper leads, lacking this resistance, can cause issues with the performance and longevity of the ignition module.
My car already had silicone leads, so that’s OK.
Rolls Royce Silver Spirit: Preventative Maintenance
Since I was already working on the ignition system, I decided to replace a few other components while I had easy access to them. I cleaned and re-gapped the spark plugs and ordered a new rotor arm and distributor cap from Distributor Doctor, a highly recommended supplier for these parts. Don’t bother with cheap Chinese junk on eBay, and always avoid Amazon where you can. The rotor arm and cap had some wear, and replacing them was a sensible step given the age of the car.
Make sure you buy the right rotor arm! When you are fitting an electronic ignition to a Rolls Royce, you want the 54401050 rotor arm – the slimmer version with no under-hang at the back. If your vehicle’s distributor originally had points, it used the wider cheese slice shape 54422044 rotor (which has an under-hang), this rotor arm is too tall and wrong. The 54401050 is specifically intended for use with later electronic distributors where the rotor height has been slightly reduced. This rotor is not suitable for cars with points. The correct one for this conversion is pictured above and linked above and at the end.
Fitting the New Parts
Once the new ignition module, coil, rotor arm, and distributor cap arrived (after me buying the wrong stuff first due to inaccurate advice online), I set about installing them. The installation of the Pertronix LU-281A was relatively straightforward, as it fits neatly into the distributor housing where the old Opus module used to be.
Use the ELEC 5 instructions on the Flying Spares website. They are a bit incomplete so here’s the rest: You reuse the grommet on the side of the dizzy by trimming off the old wires and drilling through it for the new. Find the plug behind the dizzy that fed the old unit, it has several wires on it, most you don’t need any more.
Cut off all but the red wire at the plug – that red wire is the ignition live you’ll use to power the Pertronix and the coil. The black from the Pertronix goes to the coil and nothing else.
You do away with the circlip, o-ring and washer. You don’t need those now. The two cogs that come with the kit snap together, locate on the shaft and the rotor arm keeps it there. Yes, you can refit the dust cover if you like.
With the new parts fitted, I turned the key, and the car fired up immediately. This time, there was no cutting out after 10–15 seconds. The engine ran smoothly, and once up to temperature, it continued to start and run without any issues.
Conclusion
After replacing the Lucas Opus ignition module with the Pertronix LU-281A, upgrading the coil to a Flamethrower 40011, and replacing the cap and rotor, my cold start problem was resolved. The car now starts consistently, whether hot or cold, and the engine runs reliably. This fix also provided peace of mind knowing that I’ve eliminated a known weak point in the car’s ignition system.
Cost? £300-400 on parts and a couple of hours labour. Better than two or three grand at a “specialist”.
Rolls Royce Silver Spirit: Where to Get Parts
For anyone facing similar issues with a Rolls Royce Silver Spirit or Bentley of this era with an Opus fitted, here’s the parts you want:
- Ignition Module: Pertronix LU-281A available online (available as ELEC5 from Flying Spares – same thing for more money). If your car has points and not an Opus, you want LU-181A.
- Ignition Coil: Flamethrower 40011 – available online
- Rotor Arm & Distributor Cap: Distributor Doctor (if your cap looks OK, you can buy just the rotor online >here< £20+ cheaper than Flying Spares as DD doesn’t sell online)
About Spare Parts Suppliers
- Flying Spares has everything. And the add-ons you didn’t know you needed (like a bracket to make the Flamethrower coil fit as you’ll have to adapt the old one otherwise). They are expensive, and you can buy somewhat cheaper elsewhere with research. But they are a one-stop shop and have the stock and experience that may make their prices worthwhile. If you value your time, and like UPS delivery, the prices may be worth it.
- Distributor Doctor is the unrivalled guru on anything and everything to do with distributors on classic cars – bar none. What they don’t know isn’t worth knowing. However, they don’t sell online, you have to call or email, then pay, and then they send it out. A bit antiquated nowadays, but if they have what you need, use them. They’re good people. Royal Mail delivery.
- Rangey Parts is the place if you only need the correct rotor arm for this application and want to buy online without fuss. They actually sell Range Rover spares but they also sell the genuine Distributor Doctor rotor arm that is the same as the Flying Spares CD6077PP for MUCH less money than FS. Only because this same rotor arm fits some Land Rover and Range Rover V8s too. Royal Mail delivery. Who doesn’t want to save twenty quid?
If your Rolls Royce Silver Spirit is struggling to start from cold and exhibits similar symptoms, it’s worth checking the condition of your ignition system, particularly if it still has the original Lucas Opus setup. If it has, ditch it and modernise it.
There is a lot of info out there for Silver Shadows; less so for Silver Spirits. It took me a LOT of research online across multiple websites, many evenings and lots of Pinot Grigio to get the information I needed, including buying the wrong parts the first time around, so I decided to document what I learned here for others. I want to give credit to Jim Walters from Bristol Motors in Canada who helped me out online with some of the diagnoses during my online research. I guess I can add Rolls Royce technician to my CV now.
Your comments, questions, thoughts and feedback are welcome in the comments below.