Ignition System: Description and Operation

The distributor is mounted on the rear of the cylinder head, and is direct-driven by the camshaft. The distributor shaft drive tang is off-center so that it can only engage one way. A four-lobed armature is mounted on the rotor shaft.
When the distributor shaft rotates, the magnetic pulse is generated in the pickup coil. The pickup coil is part of the electronic ignition module, which controls the current through the ignition coil primary winding. As the coil windings collapse, the field induces a high voltage pulse.