cannot remove distributor
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From: Fresno California
I like Lars' idea. I would not pull it apart. And roll pins are hard. It seems that the distributor body DOES rotate, as opposed to what was stated originally, and in that case, is not hung up on the intake. The obstruction has to be lower than the gear (roll pin) since the gear can not be lifted up and out of mesh with the cam gear. I have never seen a roll pin back out of a distributor gear/shaft, but there's always a first time. I like the idea of slowly rotating the engine by degrees and trying to lift it out by trial and error. Again, no way would I pull the oil pan and go that route. I'd pull the intake as a last resort and try to get enough angle on the distributor to fish it out of mesh with the cam gear.
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From: Smyrna/Vinings, Georgia
accomplish same thing by turning the engine a little at a time and try to remove distributor.
I'm still in the camp of not enough pressure, but with the comments about clean oil and distributor removal for shimming, can't rule out roll pin.
When I had a tough one; hold pressure on back of distributor and "bump" with pry bar.
Wiggle right up.
I'm still in the camp of not enough pressure, but with the comments about clean oil and distributor removal for shimming, can't rule out roll pin.
When I had a tough one; hold pressure on back of distributor and "bump" with pry bar.
Wiggle right up.
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From: CT
If the BODY (not the shaft) can not be rotated, then that is the problem, not a backed-out roll pin. I would try some muscle, money wrench? and try to twist the body free. Snug it up then keep tapping lightly on the wrench trying to get it to turn. Keep working it back and forth until it frees itself
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From: Greenville, Indiana
If the BODY (not the shaft) can not be rotated, then that is the problem, not a backed-out roll pin. I would try some muscle, money wrench? and try to twist the body free. Snug it up then keep tapping lightly on the wrench trying to get it to turn. Keep working it back and forth until it frees itself
By not reading the whole thread, you have missed pry bars, hammers, slide hammers, engine hoist, dynamite, etc...............
Last edited by MikeM; Feb 1, 2017 at 02:43 PM.
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I'm surprised no one has recommended a slide hammer to add a little impact to the straight pull up. Wrap a short small chain around it, bolt it through so it can't slip off and hook both ends of the chain to the hook end of the slide hammer and just tap it up. It'll come little by little. There's probably 40 years worth of varnish holding it in there. 
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From: Fresno California
I'm surprised no one has recommended a slide hammer to add a little impact to the straight pull up. Wrap a short small chain around it, bolt it through so it can't slip off and hook both ends of the chain to the hook end of the slide hammer and just tap it up. It'll come little by little. There's probably 40 years worth of varnish holding it in there.
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That all depends on how many times you've wrestled the pig. Just yesterday I was pressing the pinion bearing on, for the third time, and after it bottomed out I let it set for a second. Then I whacked the press with a hammer. A young mechanic watching said what good did that do? I told him you could hear the bearing pop each time I pulled the lever and I was making sure the bearing was all the way down. So if he lifts the front tires off of the ground he now has as much force on the dist as he's gonna get then he can whack it with a hammer. Should do the trick.
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