metal earthed distributor shield

[LeeLee]

Hi just wondering what it is and what it does,my dad took mine of when we swapped out engines saying it's not needed and wonder if it is needed my dad does this a lot haha
Thanks

[polov8]

It's an interference sheild, it's supposed to minimise the risk of the sparking that happens inside the distributor causing interference on the radio. some cars have it, others don't, so if you take it off and don't experience any issues, it's all good.