Looking for intel on '85 dizzy rebuild

[Discseven]

Going to pull dizzy from '85 3.2 to rebuild it. Any tips, tricks, etc concerning this is appreciated.

[GH85Carrera]

Before you yank it out, be sure to put engine at TDC and number 1. Plug the hole carefully while the distributor is removed.

[911obgyn]

The guy at partsclassic? In flagstaff AZ has bushings and shims, and good advice

[sugarwood]

Why rebuild?
What are your symptoms?
Is this a common maintenance item?

What are you rebuilding? Not much inside a 1985. It's just a rotary switch. Unless there is play in the shaft bushing, I'd just replace the rotor and cap and be done with it.

[Discseven]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Before you yank it out, be sure to put engine at TDC and number 1. Plug the hole carefully while the distributor is removed.

Thanks Glen. Done.

Originally Posted by 911obgyn

The guy at partsclassic? In flagstaff AZ has bushings and shims, and good advice

Thanks OB. Spoke to them yesterday. They'll do rebuild. Problem for a a daily driver is they want 10 days. Then add shipping back and fourth. Decided to do myself.

Originally Posted by sugarwood

Why rebuild?
What are your symptoms?
Is this a common maintenance item?

Shug... When there's heavy ambient moisture, engine won't start sometimes. Know exactly what's wrong---dizz cap is full of moisture. Need to pull cap and dry it. Sometimes accumulation is to point where water can be poured out of cap. If driving in heavy rain... engine will falter and eventually stop. Same problem. Why this is happening I can't sort out. Bottom line is mechanical advance has frozen up.

Noticed when removing dizz that body/case is has a few holes in it. They appear stock but did not look very closely at them yet. Will later today.

Originally Posted by madcorgi

What are you rebuilding? Not much inside a 1985. It's just a rotary switch. Unless there is play in the shaft bushing, I'd just replace the rotor and cap and be done with it.

Yeah Corg... not much in there indeed. Have sprayed internals with WD40 and letting it soak. Running around for a while this morning. When back, will get into dizz. Take & post pics so you guys can see what I'm dealing with.

[Discseven]

'85 3.2 part number.




No adjustment slot.




Soaking in WD40.




One of 3 holes in body.

Can anyone make sense as to why this dizz gets so moisture laden?

.

Weird. Is there a crack in the cap? Leaky perimeter seal, perhaps? I have an 85 and will check the distributor today and see how it compares. I've never encountered the same thing.

[KTL]

What kind of engine lid do you have on the car? Reason I ask is a friend has an aftermarket fiberglass Carrera tail on his lid. He has to put a sheet of plastic or tarp on the tail grille when parked outside in the rain. If not protected from the rain, the distributor cap gets wet and needs to be removed and dried to start the engine

Forgot to mention he has an ‘87 3.2 Carrera

[Discseven]

Originally Posted by madcorgi

Weird. Is there a crack in the cap? Leaky perimeter seal, perhaps? I have an 85 and will check the distributor today and see how it compares. I've never encountered the same thing.

No cracks. Holes in body seem very stock looking. Plastic dust cap is installed between distrib's body and cap. Appreciate you looking at yours Corg. There's got to be something to this.

Originally Posted by KTL

What kind of engine lid do you have on the car? Reason I ask is a friend has an aftermarket fiberglass Carrera tail on his lid. He has to put a sheet of plastic or tarp on the tail grille when parked outside in the rain. If not protected from the rain, the distributor cap gets wet and needs to be removed and dried to start the engine

Forgot to mention he has an ‘87 3.2 Carrera

Lid's stock KTL. Engine's stock.

Interesting to know whatever is going on with my dizz... it's not alone. So far 3.2 is common thread. Be nice to figure this puzzle out.

[Discseven]

Soft washer that rides between metal washer (above gear) and body is broke in half and fallen out. Bullet pin (securing gear to shaft) is very tight. Tried punching it out. Rather than get carried away and regret it, punch and hammer are retired sooner than later. Drilling bullet out is means to smarter end here IMHO. Roll pin can take place of bullet.








Weights were frozen to pins they ride on. One pin comes out of plate with weight. There are soft spacer washers riding below weights on their pins… all are crumbling.



Weights have skid shoes on bottom side. Original config of skidder is hard “C.” Both skidders are rotted--crumble by touching them. Are friction-fit into weights---punch out easily. Material looks like Teflon. Will use Teflon screws here with heads reduced to necessary skidder dimension. Threaded shaft sticking out top side of weight… easy cut-off to make flush on top side.




“Advancing shaft section” (toward right in pic) rides over main shaft. Want to remove it to clean these parts in solvent but there’s no obvious retainer. Forcing these apart… too high a probability of not ending well. Leaving as is. Downside = there’s no soaking these parts in cleaner---am thinking solvent will dissolve whatever lube exists between “advance” and main shaft.




Checked shaft’s side play in body. Nothing.




Disassembly, basic cleaning, sorting out replacement parts for crumbling bits, getting weights to rotate cleanly on their pins, red greasing parts, and reassembly… bench working time is hour & half. To keep this advance working hereafter, plan is to open diz cap on occasion and spray internals with lube.




Soft washer that broke in half is gone. I took that space up by putting shim washer between bottom of advance plate and top of bushing in body. This moves entire shaft up about 3/32.” Been ping-ponging whether 3/32” here makes or doesn’t make a dif. To stop mindbending this, am going to move shim washer.

Idea brewing concerning moisture buildup in diz cap is to vent cap. Am thinking this would balance temp & humidity on both sides of cap. Any opinions on this?

.

[Discseven]

Diz is back in. Working. Thanks for input.

Moisture issue... still on table.

.

[merbesfield]

I would be interested in moisture issue. My RSR Dizzy also gets damp when sitting. Figure it’s humidity in garage but need to solve problem. Have to clean it every month or so.

[jamesjedi]

Excellent pictures. I assume the "soft washer" has created axial play? I do not think have any radial play

I am looking a mine. What axial movement is expected from a rebuild/new distributor?

Message from Distributor Labs;

Dear James:
Thank you for your inquiry.
The design service life of the distributor is 70,000 miles (100,00 km)
Axial play indicates that the washers and shims are wiped out and the unit is scored internally. This is normal after 70,000 miles.
The unit needs a complete rebuild. All my clients want performance rebuilds that greatly enhance drivability and fun (custom build).
Feel free to call me or supply me with your phone number. I'll call when you want.

Best Regards,

Barry Hershon
Diplomate Engineer

[Discseven]

Originally Posted by merbesfield

I would be interested in moisture issue. My RSR Dizzy also gets damp when sitting. Figure it’s humidity in garage but need to solve problem. Have to clean it every month or so.

Merb... am contemplating venting diz cap in some manner so water of any source in engine bay doesn't enter diz. Idea is to balance heat and humidity inside cap to engine bay. Question is how to do this easily and so vent can be quickly moved from one cap to next.

Originally Posted by jamesjedi

Excellent pictures. I assume the "soft washer" has created axial play? I do not think have any radial play

I am looking a mine. What axial movement is expected from a rebuild/new distributor?

Message from Distributor Labs;

Dear James:
Thank you for your inquiry.
The design service life of the distributor is 70,000 miles (100,00 km)
Axial play indicates that the washers and shims are wiped out and the unit is scored internally. This is normal after 70,000 miles.
The unit needs a complete rebuild. All my clients want performance rebuilds that greatly enhance drivability and fun (custom build).
Feel free to call me or supply me with your phone number. I'll call when you want.

Best Regards,

Barry Hershon
Diplomate Engineer

Interesting note on service life Barry. I did notice the bottom of the advance plate having been worn into by the shim top washer. I shimmed originally to zero axial play and changed my mind about that. Thought some play would allow for heat to expand parts unevenly. Think I allowed about .015" axial play. Not sure what spec is. Wayne's book indicates something to the effect that "excessive play" is no good. Does not say what tolerance is.

[HaroldMHedge]

TSB 78-04 lists a distibutor axial play of 0.2 +/- 0.1 mm.

I've seen this same play listed in various Bosch distributor documents from various manufacturers.

[jamesjedi]

Excellent information. A TSB.

That is close to zero movement.

Can it be caused by moisture?

[Discseven]

Originally Posted by HaroldMHedge

TSB 78-04 lists a distibutor axial play of 0.2 +/- 0.1 mm.

I've seen this same play listed in various Bosch distributor documents from various manufacturers.

That is close to nothing. About .003" on tighter side. Forces me to think about a reshim to tighten it up. Good input Harlod---thanks!

[HaroldMHedge]

I will post the TSBs that I have on distributors tomorrow. I'm away from the computer that they are stored on.

[HaroldMHedge]

Here are the TSBs that I promised.

TSB 78-04







TSB 84-03





The Distributor Repair Kit, 1-237-010-007-INT, has the shims that are needed to rebuild a distributor but you need two of them to get two fiber (phelonic) washers.