How do you get this thing off?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 102
Likes: 0
From: Taft CA
How do you get this thing off?
Hi all,
I just got my new tach drive gear and i am trying to get it put in but i can't get the brass cover thing off. this is the thing the cable screws onto. this is it:
I think it just unscrews but i can't seem to get it off easly. what kind of tool would i need? i think just a large screw driver but there is not alot of room in there. any tips of ideas would be great. thanks again
-tom-
I just got my new tach drive gear and i am trying to get it put in but i can't get the brass cover thing off. this is the thing the cable screws onto. this is it:
I think it just unscrews but i can't seem to get it off easly. what kind of tool would i need? i think just a large screw driver but there is not alot of room in there. any tips of ideas would be great. thanks again
-tom-
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
I would pull the dist. This makes it much easier to work on. Lots more room. It is not a big deal to pull it. Just mark where therotor is pointed and where the vacuum can is pointed then pull it. As it comes up the rotor will turn. Mark where it is when it is out and put it back in the same way. I do it all the time. Just retime it when it fires back up. It does unscrew out of the dist.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,833
Likes: 15
From: Southeast La
Originally Posted by Gordonm
I would pull the dist. This makes it much easier to work on. Lots more room. It is not a big deal to pull it. Just mark where therotor is pointed and where the vacuum can is pointed then pull it. As it comes up the rotor will turn. Mark where it is when it is out and put it back in the same way. I do it all the time. Just retime it when it fires back up. It does unscrew out of the dist.
with Gordonm, dist must come out.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 102
Likes: 0
From: Taft CA
Originally Posted by topless68
Damn, is that the new 14 megapixel camera.
with Gordonm, dist must come out.
with Gordonm, dist must come out.-tom-
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,652
Likes: 80
From: Lakeland Florida
Hello,
When you replace the tach drive gear, you should also check the main distributor shaft gears. One reason for the failure would be that the distributor shaft gear is also bad. To do that, you have to pull the distributor, take out the pin on the bottom of the distributor gear, and then the distributor housing will slide off, exposing the distributor shaft drive gear. You can then inspect this gear for wear on the worm drive shaft.
If this is bad, then installing a new tach drive gear will not fix your problem. It will also go bad within a few miles of driving.
If you dont want to do this check, then to replace the tach drive gear means you have to take out that large brass screw plug at the rear of the distributor. You may be able to rotate the distributor so that you can get a good angle at it with a flat head screwdriver. There will be a slot across the plug that will allow you to unscrew it. If you cannot do that, then you have to pull the distributor to get to it. And as long as the distributor is out, you might as well check the main drive shaft. See how simple that was.
kdf
When you replace the tach drive gear, you should also check the main distributor shaft gears. One reason for the failure would be that the distributor shaft gear is also bad. To do that, you have to pull the distributor, take out the pin on the bottom of the distributor gear, and then the distributor housing will slide off, exposing the distributor shaft drive gear. You can then inspect this gear for wear on the worm drive shaft.
If this is bad, then installing a new tach drive gear will not fix your problem. It will also go bad within a few miles of driving.
If you dont want to do this check, then to replace the tach drive gear means you have to take out that large brass screw plug at the rear of the distributor. You may be able to rotate the distributor so that you can get a good angle at it with a flat head screwdriver. There will be a slot across the plug that will allow you to unscrew it. If you cannot do that, then you have to pull the distributor to get to it. And as long as the distributor is out, you might as well check the main drive shaft. See how simple that was.
kdf
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 6,134
Likes: 46
From: Raleigh North Carolina
I use a small pair if channel lock (slip joint) pliers to loosen the cable... then finish by hand. To remove the coupler (brass cover thing).... I use a puty knife on edge.
Agree with the above.... if the tach stopped working, it could be the tach, the cable, or the gears(s). If the small cross gear is messed, chances are the distributor main shaft is also messed. If that's the case, the dist needs to be removed & disassembled to replace the parts. There are aftermarket cross gear parts that are better than stock FYI.
But just to remove/replace the cable, I do not remove the distributor.
I drilled my C2 dist using the special jig and tapped the housing to accept a FACED 1/4-28 stainless bolt (& locknut) to stop the cross gear from floating back & forth in the housing. This gave me a more steady tach needle and helped reduce the possibility of another gear failure. Also used the stainless needle bearing coupler instead of a stock brass coupler... less rotating resistance & longer life in the cross gear..... less resistance for the cable to turn.
Have had NO problems with this setup.
Needle bearing coupler:
http://www.zip-products.com/Zip/prod...E0242C1B84C5D7
Drilling jig for set screw (set screw didn't stay put, I used a screw & nut)
http://www.zip-products.com/Zip/prod...E0242C1B84C5D7
Agree with the above.... if the tach stopped working, it could be the tach, the cable, or the gears(s). If the small cross gear is messed, chances are the distributor main shaft is also messed. If that's the case, the dist needs to be removed & disassembled to replace the parts. There are aftermarket cross gear parts that are better than stock FYI.
But just to remove/replace the cable, I do not remove the distributor.
I drilled my C2 dist using the special jig and tapped the housing to accept a FACED 1/4-28 stainless bolt (& locknut) to stop the cross gear from floating back & forth in the housing. This gave me a more steady tach needle and helped reduce the possibility of another gear failure. Also used the stainless needle bearing coupler instead of a stock brass coupler... less rotating resistance & longer life in the cross gear..... less resistance for the cable to turn.
Have had NO problems with this setup.
Needle bearing coupler:
http://www.zip-products.com/Zip/prod...E0242C1B84C5D7
Drilling jig for set screw (set screw didn't stay put, I used a screw & nut)
http://www.zip-products.com/Zip/prod...E0242C1B84C5D7
Last edited by Tom454; Feb 16, 2005 at 09:53 AM.
