Railroadman

Well, that's just YOUR pinion!

DUB

I read all the responses from 'Daren67'...and many of the other suggestions....but not the entire thread. Because if I read them correctly the main housing will spin.

I have also encountered many distributors that were really stuck and it took a bit if twisting and pulling to get it to come out. But lucky for me I got them out. But I also used my digital calipers so I could actually see I was gaining on the height and they were coming out.

From what I gather...general consensus is the roll pin is coming out and not getting past the cam gear. And what Lars commented on that not being able to do anything from the bottom of the engine would cause me to do this.

Keep this in mind. I believe you spun the engine.. BUT..I do believe that the roll pin is installed on the main shaft in the same location in relation to the top of the distributor...if I am not mistaken. I do not believe that when this hole was drilled it was done randomly. Hopefully the hole for the roll pin is not drilled randomly. If all the holes are in the exact same 'clocked' location....then knowing the angle of the hole that is drilled for the roll pin....in relation to your upper distributor area where you attach your rotor button should be the same. So you might still stop and think that even though you spun the engine....maybe it needs more because now you will know that there are only two places the distributor can be rotated to in order to get the roll pin away from the gear area of the cam. Did that make sense???? I know there are more than just twp places for the distributor to be positioned...but I feel some may get what I am trying to convey.

OR...

The one option if that I would try is to pull the timing chain cover and begin the process of attempting to get parts loosened or removed so the cam can slide forwards a little bit to the roll pin can get past the cam gear. I feel that if the cam came forward an 1/8"...it may come out....if not then 3/16"...which should not cause for lifter to drop out and get caught up. My only possible concern might be the fuel pump push rod...but that may be OK also. But with teh fuel pump push rods diameter being smaller than a lifter...that is was raises my concern...so dropping a fuel pump to me is no big deal.

I feel that this should work due if the roll pin is coming out..it can only be out far enough that it would interfere withe cam gear BUT also be effective in holding the distributor gear on the main shaft. I seriously doubt that the roll pin is so far out that it is actually extended past the outer circumference of the distributor gear itself. If it were...the gear would come off...I think. I would have to check that tomorrow at work to see if I am correct.

And if all else fails....

I know this may **** some of you off...but oh well. I would more than likely end up dropping the pan just to make sure what I am going to do does not damage the engine internally. But I would cut the distributor below the area where the cap is mounted.

I would pull out the housing....and hopefully because the housing is now out...the main shaft with the gear would have enough play in it to allow the shaft to get past the cam gear.

I currently do not have an engine torn down so I could actually cut one of my old distributors with a roll pin extended otu of it and check and see if what I am thinking is plausible.

'Daren67'
I applaud you ability to not give up...many people by this point would more than likely lost patience and really did more damage then if they just took their time. You have put a lot more into this than I would...but I do this stuff for a living and when the inevitable is staring me in the face..I have to go with it.

DUB

MikeM

Now there's an original idea for a change!

Mr D.

After a week of messing with this I would do the above. But I tend to take the extreme route sometimes.

Look on the bright side, if you throw enough money at this problem the problem will go away.

phil2302

I'm sorry but cutting the distributor off only leaves a useless hunk of metal still stabbed into and stuck in the guys engine block. Then what?
Keep yanking, spraying? Getting mad at it never works. If it was working well before all this maybe just clamp it back down an leave it.

If the OP is dead set on removal this needs a second set of eyes on it.

hope2

So, one more shot. If when the distributor is in correct position, there should be play moving shaft up and down. So, when distributor is pulled out to position where it is stuck, if there still is same play, problem is in housing, if no play problem is shaft.

SW Vette

Harbor Freight. Slide hammer. Job done.

Listen to GTOguy, he does this stuff for a living.

Just pulling or prying is not the same as using an impact tool. Think of a valve cover, water pump, or intake manifold that's held in place with Permatex - pull all you want and it ain't coming off, but a couple of strikes with a dead blow and -- voila!

GTOguy

All due respect, cutting the dizzy in half is batsh!t crazy, IMO.

Daren67

No play when it's up 1/2 inch. A forum member GCD1962 may be gracious enough to to peak at it Sunday. Watch he sees the dist bolt still in.....just kidding.

GTOguy

I was a bit harsh in my last post and apologize for that. But I'm glad you're getting other eyes on it. Cutting the distributor in half will result in metal shavings in the engine, a broken distributor, and a piece of it still lodged in the engine. Do that, and you'll be pulling the engine, tearing it down, and boiling it out to get rid of all the metal debris. Get other eyes on it and go from there. Kudos to you for having the patience so far not to do anything rash and destroy anything. Since the dizzy has been out fairly recently, I don't think it's sludge or varnish. We will wait and see if Lars does his lab experiment with the roll pin and the indexing of the dizzy shaft and will look forward to results, and your ultimate solution for this issue! Good luck.
Jeff

MikeM

Now here's a thought not suggested yet.

Never mind the arrows and text in this picture of the block. Look at the block where the distributor goes through it.

Any chance the intake manifold was sealed up in the back with silicone instead of a rubber gasket? Taken a little further, any chance an excess amount of silicone was used and it squeezed into the real estate of the distributor when it was installed? On the next machined surface down from the gasket.

I don't have anything here to measure it but lifting the distributor about a 1/2" sounds about right for this scenario. But you should be able to feel this interference if that's the case.

65tripleblack

If you cut the distributor mainshaft "football" off and file it smooth with a chamfer, you can then slide the points cam off the top of the shaft, pull out the distributor housing, and then you have room to manipulate the mainshaft/gear/pin until it clears to pull it out from the top.

Railroadman

I THOUGHT I read the last time it was out was in the late 1980's. But OP said they change the oil regularly so I'm also guessing it's not sludge.

Mr D.

Well I did say I tend to take the extreme route sometimes.

Frankie the Fink

Good thought Mike - I covered that in post #35 though...the pictures help.
I think its between the roll pin and the issue you cite...

4 Speed Dave

For how long it took me to read all theses posts I could have taken the oil pan off and oil pump out. Just sayin'......

MikeM

Then what would you do? And How?

GCD1962

And would there be clearance for the distributor gear to be removed from the bottom of the engine. I know the oil pump rod can clear, but can the distributor gear ?

Mr D.

If this is a roll pin issue the only way to resolve it is from the top. The dist will have to be disassembled down to the shaft so you can hopefully move it sideways to get the shaft out.

I have search the internet for a cutaway view of this area but no luck.

emccomas

Another set of eyes is the next logical step.

There is no rush at this point, and no point in rushing and damaging something.

Give us a report on Sunday.