Anyone have any tricks for extracting a distributor that has become frozen in the block? It's a factory dual point version we'd rather not destroy in the process.
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Engine out of or in the car?
Engine is in the car, a pre-L, so the dizzy is a bit closer to the firewall than the L's.
Have you tried the ultimate rust buster? 50% acetone, 50% automatic transmission fluid.
I have faced distributor removals that chemicals didn't budge. I came up with a solution involving a slide hammer style axle puller ... it removes them easily and quickly. But you can't have anything above the engine, the Pantera would require engine removal.
This car suffered an engine fire 16 years ago. I think it was a loose fuel line connection at the carb. It was put out with a dry chemical extinguisher and pushed back into the garage where it sat until this past spring, the engine covered in that yellow powder.
Among other damage, the fire burned the points wire right off the dizzy, destroyed the plug wires and ruined the vacuum advance diaphragm. I was hoping to pull it to fix those things and re-gap the dual points, but she ain't coming out.
Working in place, I did manage to run a new wire to the points and clean them up with a bit of sandpaper. We installed some temporary wiring (the factory harness remains compromised by the mouse problem), secondhand plug wires and cap and a borrowed carb. After a pressurized oil injection through the sender hole, then letting the starter spin it over with the plugs out to confirm the engine would build oil pressure, we got her running last night. She woke right up, very inspirational for the owner.
So now I'm hoping we can change out the bad advance unit in place, accept the ignition timing as-is, and postpone distributor extraction for now.
Now we move on to the mouse chewed wires, the clutch master and slave, and the brakes. The plan is to get the car to a drivable condition for this season before she goes down for engine out restoration commencing this winter.
Among other damage, the fire burned the points wire right off the dizzy, destroyed the plug wires and ruined the vacuum advance diaphragm. I was hoping to pull it to fix those things and re-gap the dual points, but she ain't coming out.
Working in place, I did manage to run a new wire to the points and clean them up with a bit of sandpaper. We installed some temporary wiring (the factory harness remains compromised by the mouse problem), secondhand plug wires and cap and a borrowed carb. After a pressurized oil injection through the sender hole, then letting the starter spin it over with the plugs out to confirm the engine would build oil pressure, we got her running last night. She woke right up, very inspirational for the owner.
So now I'm hoping we can change out the bad advance unit in place, accept the ignition timing as-is, and postpone distributor extraction for now.
Now we move on to the mouse chewed wires, the clutch master and slave, and the brakes. The plan is to get the car to a drivable condition for this season before she goes down for engine out restoration commencing this winter.
Unfortunately that yellow powder is corrosive and should've been immediately cleaned off. Be on the lookout for other issues. This may explain your issue with the distributor.
all other issues aside, you can come at the timing advance backwards and use the points adjustment (dwell) to change the timing advance if it's determined to be unacceptable.
dwell affects timing but timing does not affect dwell.
dwell affects timing but timing does not affect dwell.
Patience,Mouse Milk and heat if able.
I just rebuilt brake calipers and it took me days to free the pistons but the above did it.
I just rebuilt brake calipers and it took me days to free the pistons but the above did it.
I am guessing the strap wrench idea we talked about did not work?
Dominic
Dominic
I don't remember talking about it, but the strap wrench is a good idea, will need to get the vacuum advance unit off the dizzy to get a good wrap though. Haven't gotten to removing that yet. One of the two screws that secure those things to the dizzy threads into the aluminum body, and I have a feeling it's not going to give up easily....