cannot remove distributor
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 9,151
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From: "You may all go to Hell- and I will go to Texas- Davy Crockett
St. Jude Donor '12
i remember having a few stuck, mostly on engines thst i was stripping for a block,crank, whatever. When I would try to rotate the advance can back and forth it would be tight. Just kept going back and forth, rocking what little I could from side to side, and pulling upwards. Always pulled out built up gunk like it had been run on Havoline HD. Crap was thick! A small pry bar with a hook at the end as Frankie and others suggest always worked. Yesh, you have to get serious with it
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 26,118
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From: Greenville, Indiana
Depending on where your fulcrum point was, that 10" piece isn't much. Neither is wood. Use metal. Use a long metal bar and catch it under the flange of the distributor that seats on the manifold.
Last edited by MikeM; Jan 29, 2017 at 05:37 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 37,594
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From: CA
I agree with everyone else, spray the crap out of it and keep working at by pulling it up and wiggle/rotate it as much as possible to work sludge/grim loose..
you probably already know to pull the pan after its out..but its just a reminder...
you probably already know to pull the pan after its out..but its just a reminder...
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 6,445
Likes: 1,868
From: Folsom CA
If you are concerned about the pieces of gunk that drop off while pulling the distributor you can flush the block with the pan in place. After draining the oil pour some Diesel fuel into the oil fill neck, 1/2 gallon should do it, about $2 worth. Then drain that. If it is still dirty while draining do it again. I have done it a few times for different reasons.
Once on a Z28 after doing a valve job, you try and work clean but some particles get by you and end up in the pan. This is not factory approved I am sure.
There won't be enough Diesel left in the block to be concerned about after draining. Add oil and off you go. Much faster than pulling a pan to get some sludge out.
Once on a Z28 after doing a valve job, you try and work clean but some particles get by you and end up in the pan. This is not factory approved I am sure.
There won't be enough Diesel left in the block to be concerned about after draining. Add oil and off you go. Much faster than pulling a pan to get some sludge out.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 3,069
Likes: 1,127
From: NEW YORK
Agree with that. Just drain it before starting it again because you dont want to circulate the PB or Kroil or whatever else you needed to shoot into it.
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Team Owner
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Army
I'm getting skeptical that perhaps the OP has something unique going on...I've NEVER had, or even heard of, this much trouble removing a distributor. Trick question...what if the roll pin that holds the helical gear has worked loose ?
Le Mans Master
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From: New York New York
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To test this theory I would pull up as hard as I can and at the same time rotate the distributor shaft, if there is resistance then I would suspect you are correct.
But in the thousands of distributors I have pulled I have never encountered the pin coming out. 2 + 2 gum cutter always worked for me when a distributor was stuck.
Joe
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 3,069
Likes: 1,127
From: NEW YORK
If that turns out to be the case strong prying could break it and the pan will be coming off afterall. Lets hope not.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 834
Likes: 86
From: CT
Guys I appreciate your help with this. I plodded into many worse projects successfully with the help of the crack corvette forum squad. I am a solid 200lbs and put all I got into the pull. Second with a wood lever, I Applied a good amount of force. Certainly it should of broke the crud by now. But it did not. Thankfully I have patience ( still)and did not break anything. I want to put a crowbar in there but of course I will not. I doubt there is that much crud in there as we had car since 1980 (and babied it with oil changes galore) . Oil pan was dropped for new one back in 1990s as old one was dented bad. Dist was out in late 1980s for shimming as well.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 3,069
Likes: 1,127
From: NEW YORK
Guys I appreciate your help with this. I plodded into many worse projects successfully with the help of the crack corvette forum squad. I am a solid 200lbs and put all I got into the pull. Second with a wood lever, I Applied a good amount of force. Certainly it should of broke the crud by now. But it did not. Thankfully I have patience ( still)and did not break anything. I want to put a crowbar in there but of course I will not. I doubt there is that much crud in there as we had car since 1980 (and babied it with oil changes galore) . Oil pan was dropped for new one back in 1990s as old one was dented bad. Dist was out in late 1980s for shimming as well.
Team Owner
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Army
If the distributor raises up the stated 1/2", and the rotor turns, that means the helical gear is dis-engaged....so that means the oil pump drive gear is badly stuck or the piece is trying to come out crooked and bumping one of the concentric, raised flanges along the shaft against something (I agree - unlikely)...
The oil pump drive screwdriver-like tongue slips into the slot and the connection depends on the distributor hold down clamp maintaining contact. I can't imagine enough "sludge" in that connection that would prevent the removal based on the effort already applied...
I'm now suspicious of maybe a slipped rubber chinese wall gasket (I never use them) or a big clot of RTV holding things up...if jerking up on the distributor feels a bit spongy that would be my final guess. I'm outta gas on this one!
Very strange...
The oil pump drive screwdriver-like tongue slips into the slot and the connection depends on the distributor hold down clamp maintaining contact. I can't imagine enough "sludge" in that connection that would prevent the removal based on the effort already applied...
I'm now suspicious of maybe a slipped rubber chinese wall gasket (I never use them) or a big clot of RTV holding things up...if jerking up on the distributor feels a bit spongy that would be my final guess. I'm outta gas on this one!
Very strange...
Last edited by Frankie the Fink; Jan 30, 2017 at 11:15 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2002
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From: Egg Harbor Township NJ
2015 C2 of Year
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10, '14-'15
If I remember correctly...Follow this and Comment guys...
The end of the distb shaft is set into the cam gear.... The end of the distb shaft also connects to the oil pump drive tang shaft... That tang has a Nylon collar the slips over the oil pump which connects to the oil pump drive shaft ....
Is it possible that the nylon collar is bound some how to the shaft and the distb drive? So when he pulls up the drive shaft to the oil pump it is coming up with it hitting the cam gear?
Sounds way out there don't it. But as stated the distrb can stick but if that intermediate oil pump drive shaft is somehow coming up stuck on the distrib shaft that could that have an effect?
Ok experts debunk my theory. I might learn something here.
The end of the distb shaft is set into the cam gear.... The end of the distb shaft also connects to the oil pump drive tang shaft... That tang has a Nylon collar the slips over the oil pump which connects to the oil pump drive shaft ....
Is it possible that the nylon collar is bound some how to the shaft and the distb drive? So when he pulls up the drive shaft to the oil pump it is coming up with it hitting the cam gear?
Sounds way out there don't it. But as stated the distrb can stick but if that intermediate oil pump drive shaft is somehow coming up stuck on the distrib shaft that could that have an effect?
Ok experts debunk my theory. I might learn something here.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,552
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From: Lake Villa Illinois
St. Jude Donor '14
I would have a helper crank the engine over while I was prying up on the distributor with a long screwdriver or something. Of course, if you can already lift it up far enough that the distributor gear is disengaged from the cam gear, then I guess bumping the engine over won't help.
If the roll pin holding the gear on to the lower part of the distributor shaft worked its way out far enough to prevent removal, then you may be kinda screwed. If that was the case, I think (Speculation) if the roll pin was sticking out and facing the cam gear it would hit that first, and if you then tried rotating the distributor ninety degrees, so the pin was oriented fore and aft, the distributor should come out further as the pin slides up past the cam gear until it hits the block.
Gerry
If the roll pin holding the gear on to the lower part of the distributor shaft worked its way out far enough to prevent removal, then you may be kinda screwed. If that was the case, I think (Speculation) if the roll pin was sticking out and facing the cam gear it would hit that first, and if you then tried rotating the distributor ninety degrees, so the pin was oriented fore and aft, the distributor should come out further as the pin slides up past the cam gear until it hits the block.
Gerry
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
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From: Greenville, Indiana
I think (Speculation) if the roll pin was sticking out and facing the cam gear it would hit that first, and if you then tried rotating the distributor ninety degrees, so the pin was oriented fore and aft, the distributor should come out further as the pin slides up past the cam gear until it hits the block.
Gerry
