Disbributor Issue
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 4,723
Likes: 11
From: Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada
Disbributor Issue
The disbributor bolt on my car was loose causing the car to miss like crazy and drive of course drive poorly. I set the timing back to 6 and it runs good for awhile, then acts up again. When I go to set the timing the disbributor will turn really far one way but barely turn the other way. Its like it hits somthing and stops. Should it not turn freely both ways? Also I've noticed the disbributor has a bit of a wiggle when its tightened down. Is this normal? Is it time for a new disbributor?
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,816
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From: :45 minutes from everywhere / E-I-E-I-O
Sounds like the bolt for distributor holddown is too long.
The bolt is supposed to apply pressure at the middle of the holddown 'fork', and if the bolt is too long, it will be all the way screwed in before it hits the middle part of the 'fork'.
UNLESS, you put too much torque on it the last time, and it was bent the 'fork', and is now pegged to the block before the distributor is locked down.
Pull the fork, and see if it is bent. If so you'll need another one, unless you can shim the small end with a washer.
The bolt is supposed to apply pressure at the middle of the holddown 'fork', and if the bolt is too long, it will be all the way screwed in before it hits the middle part of the 'fork'.
UNLESS, you put too much torque on it the last time, and it was bent the 'fork', and is now pegged to the block before the distributor is locked down.
Pull the fork, and see if it is bent. If so you'll need another one, unless you can shim the small end with a washer.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 4,723
Likes: 11
From: Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada
I pulled the fork and took a look at it. The only part that is bent is the ends of the fork. They are bent down. After looking at it closely the fork teeth don't go all the way flush to the distributor. The slot on the fork doesnt go far enough backwards to allow the teeth to sit flush against the distributor. I will grind the slot a bit bigger for it to sit properly. This is a new intake on the car, maybe my old fork wasnt made for it.
Last edited by jimmers; Jul 27, 2008 at 12:11 PM.
