Advice Needed - Replace Distributor?
 

LSS - Mechanically challenged and alternator seized. Got the car home, studied the 101 projects book and searched this forum for help on the issue. While taking out the old alternator I decided the fan and fan housing needed to be cleaned and painted. Then I decided it just wouldn't look right unless I painted the fan housing strap so I searched this forum and discovered that in order to remove the strap the distributor had to come out which leads me to my question.

I don't have a problem with the distributor but it is +/- 24 years old. Should I replace it since I have it out?

The shaft side to side play seems to be the heads up on a rebuild. Measure yours in .000

A new one is big bucks.

Pelican has good pricing on rebuilt dizzy's

Fixing something that ain't broke is a good starting point for a black hole.

Might as well send it and a check to me and I will send it back in the same box looking like new.

Nobody seems to know what the specs are to replace, not even in the Spec Book.

"I don't have a problem with the distributor but it is +/- 24 years old. Should I replace it since I have it out?"

As stlrj points out, if it ain't broke ......

But you can add a few drop of oil into the lube area, even if you haven't done that in 24 years.
And if you're a few years late in the above, you can check the shaft-to-housing clearance and fix that if it's now too sloppy.
And you can check for full mechanical advance with a timing light.

Sherwood

Warren has posted that .005 is max shaft to housing clearance before rebuild.

I think I would look for a second opinion.

Nothing worse than spending lots of money on parts that are perfectly good based on one persons opinion that may or may not be valid.

There doesn't appear to be any or at least not measurable by me. Not going to replace it. Thanks for the input.