stuck distributor

Planned on setting the timing in my 2.2 911E and ran into a small problem. After removing the 13mm nut that holds the distributor clamp to case I found that the distributor won't move. I then loosened the 10mm nut (on clamp)in hopes that that would help - no luck! With both hands wrapped around the distributor body and pulling does nothing. Anybody have any suggestions on how to get the distributor out? Ever run into such a predicament? Thanks, Pete

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There is a sealing ring around the distributor shaft that seals against the case hole. I suspect this swells up and prevents easy extraction. Mine was easy to rotate (change the timing) but proved similarly difficult to remove. I wondered if anything else was holding it in place- as you do when things don't go as planned..but there wasn't. I just kept pulling and twisting until it came out. I suppose you could try some penetrating oil around the shaft overnite or longe. Is it a Bosch unit?
Good luck!

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'72 911 TE


[This message has been edited by Matt Smith (edited 08-06-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Matt Smith (edited 08-06-2000).]

Thanks for replying Matt I was starting to think that no one else has had this problem! I tried again today to remove it after letting the engine cool overnight but still no luck. This thing is in there tight, I can't even rotate in the case! Yes this a Bosch distributor. I felt tempted to try to pry it out from underneath but thought better of it. Not sure what the next step should be, thanks for the tip. Pete

[This message has been edited by psarmany (edited 08-06-2000).]

Keep trying.
that 13mm nut should be the only thing holding it in place. It was with mine anyway. Don't pry it yet. Car in neutral? Shouldn't make too much difference, but better to cover all bases.
I'd be tempted to get it to rotate first before trying to pull it out. You could carefully try tapping it sidewards with a hammer & piece if wood on the flange that the bolt goes through, that looks strong. Don't hit anything too hard tho; magnesium is not that tough. It's really not that tricky a set up. Bacically the shaft is unridged apart from a groove where the sealing ring sits, and WILL come out when this unsticks. The good thing about that is if you have to resort to 'brutality', the only thing that should break will be that rubber ring.
Go slow...these dizzies are spendy if you break one.
Good luck.

The car is in neutral. I tried turning the engine at the crank pulley to see if that would jar something but it didn't. No worries about crank and rotor orientation! I purchased the special offset distributor wrench earlier last week and it is a handy tool to have. The car is in storage a few miles from my apartment but you've motivated me to go give it another shot...getting offline now! Thanks again!

Matt, She finally broke loose! It took a pair of gardeners gloves and everything I had. Cleaned the distributor, put some fresh points in and set the gap, statically timed the motor at TDC (cylinder 1) and fired her up. Next problem...as I aimed the timing light at the crank pulley the Z1 mark lined up nicely with the notch in the fan housing at idle speed but as I advanced the throttle the 30 and 35 degree notches came up well before the 6,000 rpm point. Does this seem normal? It was more like 3,000-4,000 rpm when it began reaching total advance (30 degrees). When I had the distributor in my hand I checked the mechanical advance and it seemed very "light". What gives?

Excellent news Pete. Perseverence pays off! So now it's phase two: actually getting the thing to work?
Again, this is only my personal experience, but perhaps we have similar problems. Warren's good on distributors too, so he may be able to help if I can't.

I'm not sure if your model has a vacuum retard on it or not. I suspect it doesn't, or it retards differently from the '72. Mine is set to give around 10 degrees of retard at idle with the line connected, advancing that ammount when disconnected. This swings it from the mark to the left of Z1 to a similar ammount to the right when viewed with a timing light. Check all this with your factory specs as the first job.

To get the proper vacuum, your MFI system must be calibrated correctly, especially the proper synchronisation of the throttle butterflies. Check the thread titled 'CO Meter' for some discussion on that side of things.

When that checks out I guess you could move onto the total advance mechanism. This lies below the points plate and can only be viewed when this is removed.
Removal is perplexing and annoying initially.....then simple and straightfoward once you get the technique. The plate needs to be rotated and then extracted, not just extracted. You will be able to figure this out by moving it either direction (it will be stiff) until you find the right way. Then it just pops out. Sort of. You know what I mean..

You can then see the advance mechanism. Two centrifugal weights attatched by springs to the centre shaft. This is where I suspect your problem lies:

The springs ate held at both ends by nicely made plastic components...sort of like miniature sewing bobbins. The springs operate smoothly on these. But they may be broken from 'plastic fatigue' over the years as one of mine was. The stiff spring was completely disconnected due to the failure of this part, hence one weight flying out and giving way too much advance.

My remedy, given the futile nature of trying to find the parts over here, was to turn up some new ones very carefuly out of nylon. They need to be very accurate so the mechanism doesn't bind. It is definately achievable, so don't worry too much.

To actually get the shaft out of the body necessitates removing the drive gear. I ended up drilling mine out on a drill press after trying everything else. While it's apart you can reset the endfloat with steel thrust washer shims. It should be almost free of play, but obviously not binding when you reassemble everything. Trial and error again.
I replaced the pin with an engineering roll pin loc-tited in place. Hope it stays! (it should).

Re lubricate everything- I used silicon grease- and check that it all works smoothly.

Of course you could ship it off to a dizzy specialist, but that's no fun and is straight out cheating!

A specialist technical bookshop had a book on distributor rebuilding and modifying, and I resorted to this when every other book I read said it was too tricky. It isn't, believe me.

That should cover everything for the time being. Check it out and report back!

Good luck in Advance.....



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'72 911 TE

Cool post, Matt.

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'83 SC

Very cool post indeed Matt! I will keep you posted as to how things are coming along. Got the number off the distrbutor 0231159006 it is a straight mechanical advance unit. Looks like if it needs rebuilding I will be going the route you suggest, that is do-it-yourself. I was looking at the cost of a new/rebuilt dizzy on Pelican and it made me just that! More later, Pete

Thanks! I'll admit to enjoying the whole distributor thing after I finished it. I've been mucking around with cars for over 16 years now, and have left it this long to tear one down and fix it, mostly on account of all the negative advice I'd heard from the 'specialists'. Nothing is ever as difficult as it sounds, I figure. At least if you give it a go first and fail, you will still be able to talk intelligently with the eventual repairer, and learn something else in the process. We should be enjoying our time with these cars, they're great.