Can't get enough Huh....

 

I agree with everything stated above.

I was going to mock this up with a pin extending from a distributor, but the only camshaft I have laying around is a Pontiac, so that won't work for mockup.

If the distributor will not come out by rotating the engine over by hand, forget about trying to pry it out. The only thing that's going to happen is that something is going to break, and you'll end up having to tear the engine down. Do as suggested in post 132: Remove the "football" from the top of the distributor shaft - you can do this with a high speed sanding disc. Once removed, you can pull the points cam off the shaft and the entire distributor housing will slide up and off the mainshaft (after you remove the crossgear out of the housing). This will leave only the shaft in the block, which is now unsupported by the housing, allowing it to be tilted and moved around enough to disengage from the cam gear, regardless of roll pin extension.

You're going to have the distributor rebuilt anyway, so the additional $90 for a new mainshaft is a lot cheaper than tearing the engine down and repairing the damage caused if you force it out.

In spite of agreeing with the evaluation and options above, I'm not sure where that smart remark came from. I think Daren should try all viable options for removal without cutting things apart or forcing things to break. If the roll pin is extended and hitting the cam, it should be possible to rotate the engine/distributor gear so that the roll pin is extending 180 degrees away from the cam gear, thus allowing it to be removed without cutting anything. Cutting parts should be a last option, and if it's not the pin that's preventing removal, cutting the football off the shaft still may not solve the problem.

Lars

 

 

Daren -
One item to check in order to determine a path forward:

I think you need to positively determine if the obstruction is blocking the mainshaft/gear, or if it's blocking the distributor housing itself.

If the obstruction is holding the shaft/gear (as a displaced roll pin would), you should be able to pull up on the housing until it stops. At that point, there should be no endplay (vertical play) in the shaft, since it will by held down tightly against the housing upper bushing by the obstruction (assumed to be the pin). To validate that, grab the distributor by the mainshaft "football"/centrifugal advance plate and hold it up against the stop, letting go of the housing itself. The housing should drop down slightly (maybe .050") by the amount of mainshaft endplay, and the housing should have just a little bit of vertical movement possible with the mainshaft held firmly up. The housing should rotate freely.

The other possibility, of course, is that you pull the housing all the way up against the obstruction stop. With the housing held firmly up, see if there is any vertical endplay movement in the mainshaft. If the mainshaft can be wiggled up and down a little by the amount of normal shaft endplay, it means that the obstruction is not holding the shaft or gear - it's holding the distributor body. If that's the case, it won't do any good to cut the "football" off the mainshaft, since there is some obstruction in the engine block that's hitting the ridges on the distributor housing and holding the housing itself. In this case, holding the distributor hard "up" by the mainshaft, the distributor body will not rotate freely, but will have roughness in its rotation.

Lars

 

 

I like your earlier idea of moving the camshaft forward 1/2 inch to eliminate the cam gear interference from the distributor. A good mechanic could accomplish this in a few hours and I'd use it as an excuse to put a fresh timing chain and gears in while I was there.

 

With all DR, I was simply reflecting the awe that you inspire within a percentage of the forum participants. I apologize to you personally if you took offense. No offense intended. I'm sure that you do great work and you have a large following here on this forum. The Great FTF is one of your biggest fans, and probably, rightly so. You took displeasure with what I wrote after a very long time, and that's a shame because it caused you to qualify your remarks to the point of inconclusiveness. So, like our president, your emotions often supersede your intellect. All options have indeed been exhausted by the OP. He's been at this for a very long time.

The questions that you ask in #163 have already been asked and answered. The OP is now MIA so we'll see how it pans out if and when he reports back.

If I didn't know how to set up a distributor properly, as I have done many times before, and in many different configurations, then you would be my first choice "go-to-guy" because you seem to be a practical alternative to the common misconception which is: "If The General Did It And Designed It Sixty Years Ago Then It Must Be Right". You think outside of the box and seem to tailor make your distributor builds to each individual application.

That's not the whole answer, as you know, because, each engine being different, requires tweaking which can only be accomplished using the recipient engine build.

I'm glad that you brought forward your knowledge of the disassembly process and how each part relates to the next, so as to validate that a top-down disassembly is needed in this case.

Next time I'm in Colorado, I'll stop by with a case of your favorite beer and shoot the bull with you. Whether you'll welcome me or not.

Reg,
Joe

 

In the interest of keeping the forum healthy I think a little reflection on our good member John Z is in order. Read any post he has ever commented on, as far back as you wish to go. You never find him demean anyone, insult anyone or question any ones intelligence. Never claimed to be smarter than anyone. He just helped, thousands of times. If I am wrong on this I bet everyone cheered when he did straighten someone out, they would have deserved it. If a post gets old, check out. No need to get angered just move on. Find a post that grabs your interest. This one has many following because having turned many wrenches we all want to know why his distributor is stuck.
Most of us have left for good a forum in the past that catered to those throwing insults around. This forum has always been in good standing because there is almost none of that. A darn good reason so many check in almost daily and enjoy the visit.

(Personally I would have had a 2 foot crowbar on that distributor as a motivator 5 minutes into this job. I would not have added enough pressure to break the housing but I would not be afraid to add a good amount of pressure to see if it comes out.
If a roll pin snaps I would chase it with a magnet and hope for the best.)

 

And it woulda come out and been done with!

 

Well, I have learned something already. I have often bought parts from my FLAPS - Friendly Local Auto Parts Store. So when I have skimmed over a thread and seen a suggestion to have LARS do it, I quickly computed that to mean Local Auto Repair Shop. As in take it to the garage down the street instead of doing it yourself.

I humbly stand corrected, no disrespect to Lars intended, and now that I know, if Colorado was not so durn far I too would show up with some adult beverages and discuss the intricacies of Corvettes with him!

(Go ahead and have a laugh on me, I DO feel foolish for having made that mistake. I think what threw me off was seeing LARS rather than Lars.)

 

I'm just posting this to move it up to the top. I've gotten used to this post being the first thing I see when I logged in every morning this past week. I missed it this morning! Let's keep it going!

 

Agree with you on that.
Its very satisfying when unusual mechanical problems are figured out and a solution emerges.
Lets hope the OP wasnt turned off by the negative turn part of this thread took and comes back with some pictures and answers.

 

I think Joe just has a caustic sense of humor, from reading previous posts of his, and take it at that. Like listening to Don Rickles.

I blame it on being from NJ.

Doug

 

Yes being form New Joisey..we do have our ways...

To quote Don Rickles...

Lets hope the CF experts can help the gentleman get his C-2 fixed. After all ...that's one thing we are know for.

 

I had the opposite happen. I knew who LARS was (he did a wonderful job on my distributor btw) but, didn't know what a FLAPS was! I thought a FLAPS was actually the NAME of a specific parts store, until I asked one day.

Gary

 

Gary, Your not the only one to every think that...L.O.L.

 

It's out. George (GCD 1962) fellow Corvette forum member was gracious enough to come over and pop it out. 2 pry bars equal pressure. Roll pin was fine. Appreciate everyone's help. And yes over 70% of the members say use more force. Spins shitty while out. But other dist that George brought fit right in. Thanks again and yes I stand up when i go to the bathroom

 

Congratulations! Glad that you got it out.
70% of the Forum members just CAN'T be wrong

 

I love a happy ending

 

Bless you Darin for posting the solution. I KNEW a slide-hammer would have done it when I saw your video. ! ( I get paranoid prying against aluminum!) Glad you are moving forward! And secretly looking forward to the next simple task that proves to be impossible!
Jeff