Distributor Assembly Question
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 2,569
Likes: 126
From: San Diego California
Distributor Assembly Question
Perhaps Lars can answer this best, but just so everyone can know....
On reassembly, is this gap too large?
There is one shim there, as that was all that was there on disassembly. The '73 Shop Manual has a good breakdown description (even placement of the condenser and coil leads onto the point spring is illustrated), but I couldn't find anything addressing a gear-to-body gap measurement.
Did not roll-pin it yet into place.
Thanks for any help.
Steve
On reassembly, is this gap too large?
There is one shim there, as that was all that was there on disassembly. The '73 Shop Manual has a good breakdown description (even placement of the condenser and coil leads onto the point spring is illustrated), but I couldn't find anything addressing a gear-to-body gap measurement.
Did not roll-pin it yet into place.
Thanks for any help.
Steve
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 2,569
Likes: 126
From: San Diego California
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 7,426
Likes: 1,559
From: mount holly NC
2025 c3 ('74-'82) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2019 C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods)
.010 -.015 is correct for an aluminum distributor and cast iron ones should be .005 - .007
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Verdad Gallardo
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,380
Likes: 6,390
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Sorry I didn't notice your thread until just now. Cast iron distributors can be shimmed to a little under .010" (no tighter than .005"), and aluminum housing units need a little more clearance due to the expansion (growth in length) of the aluminum housing - use a number in the mid-teens for those (.015"). It's not essential that you hit these numbers on the nose - the object is just to get the majority of the slop out of the shaft endplay without going too tight. If you go too tight, you'll chew up the shims and put metal into your engine, so stay a little on the loose side rather than trying to go too tight. You can buy Moroso shim kit part number 26140 to get the hardened shims. Be sure to "clock" the drive gear so that the dimple in the gear points the same direction as the firing tab on your rotor - this will assure that the distributor body will be correctly "clocked" in your block once you set the timing. E-mail me for my "How to install your distributor" tech paper for correct clocking, and the GM Service Bulletin recommended clocking, for the tach drive distributor in the C3 body.
Lars
V8FastCars@msn.com
Lars
V8FastCars@msn.com
Last edited by lars; Mar 21, 2015 at 11:17 AM.