Distributor woes - corroded rotor arm removal

h10ndr · Post by **h10ndr** » Sun Apr 21, 2013 3:32 pm

What a day I had yesterday, thought I would service my lude as it was 1st nice Saturday since winter.

Before, I started, I thought I would fix the oil leak from my distributor which has developed. So off with the distributor (having marked the timing with a punch) and all I intended to do was replace the o ring with a spare I had ( I have about 4 distributors in pieces), when I decided to fit my new coil I had bought as well. Then save the current coil as a spare as I know it works.

This is where it starts to go wrong.
I removed the cap, and then the screw from the rotor arm (slightly corroded) but I still got it off ok. But the rotor arm would not slide off. It was stuck on. I spent ages trying until it broke to pieces. So now, I need to replace the rotor arm, but the old pieces are well and truely stuck on the shaft!!!

I eventually decided the only solution was to strip and rebuild the whole distributor and replace the shaft and bearing with a spare I had. This went according to plan, but on refitting the distributor, the car refused to start

Now. I recently read when rebuilding distributors that it is possible to get the drive gear on the shaft 180d out of sync. I have previously used a centre punch to mark all the existing distributors I have in this way so the drive gear cannot be re-assembled 180d off.

The problem was that I hadn't done this on my current distributor, but I used the position of the rotor arm relative to the drive gear on other spares to put this gear on correctly. I hadn't realised that the hole for the rotor arm in the shaft went all the way through, so I had "eyed" up the position 180d wrong after all.

I quickly changed the drive gear around, and the car sparked back into life!! phew!!

So, if it helps anyone. If you rotate the rotor arm around so the screw is at 3 o'clock, then the drive gear should be mounted with the line stamped on it pointing from 12 o'clock to 2o'clock. This will make sense if you have to do this to a distributor.

It is a good idea though to stamp the gear and shaft with a centre punch so you can't put it together wrong!! lol

Post by **Vtecmec** » Sun Apr 21, 2013 5:48 pm

Nice one Tim, glad you got it sorted, you seem to have more dizzy woes than most.

h10ndr · Post by **h10ndr** » Mon Apr 22, 2013 9:15 am

Can't believe it....jumped in this morning to go to work, and.....nothing....Cranking, but no firing....

What the h3ll? It fired up on Sat, no problem. Left it 1 day, and now nothing....

All I can do now, is put back in the original coil back in and see if that gets it going again... I am so unlucky....

Could I have fried the new coil, by trying to start it with the timing 180d out? But why did it run ok on Sat.

Post by **vanzep** » Mon Apr 22, 2013 12:28 pm

dizzy seem to be very sensitive imo
i had to replace mine after doing a compression test

ive kept the old one - dont know if it would be of any use but your welcome to have it if it helps any. Just cover the cost of postage. I did take the covers and rotor arm off and then decided just to put it back together-still might be ok for spare parts.
@newkid has a good working dizzy for sale for a very low price ( i was thinking of buying this myself as a spare)

h10ndr · Post by **h10ndr** » Mon Apr 22, 2013 8:46 pm

Thanks Vanzep for the offer, but I think

I've resolved it, again...

I removed the distributor and swapped the coil back to the original, still no joy. So put the new coil back in. Then looked at the rotor arm and cap which I swapped at the same time. I fitted the best condition ones I had, but this could have been the problem, after all, something I did stopped it working!! All looked well with the cap (nearly new), until I noticed the rotor arm had grease inside (from me

attempting to stop any corrosion on the shaft to rotor arm) it had gotten in there!! A quick swap to another spare rotor arm, and she fired back up!!! With my new coil fitted this time!!

You have to change one thing at a time to diagnose problems like this. If I had changed several items together and it fired up, I wouldn't have known where the problem was.

So all sorted again.. I did stop and start it a couple of times to make sure this time.

I think a new cap and rotor arm are on my service items to-do-list...

p.s. I will always try and carry a spare working coil and ignitor in the toolkit - just in case. I have had I think 3 coils now go on me, in 12 years. It's small insurance to get you home without needing a tow.

Post by **vanzep** » Mon Apr 22, 2013 8:52 pm

good stuff

h10ndr · Post by **h10ndr** » Mon Apr 22, 2013 8:53 pm

I think (I read on a parts supplier website)the Hitachi ignitors are an upgraded part...so try use/get them. I think they have better heat sink on them.