Distributor service (Clean and lube) real easy without removing the pinion gear!

[RWebb]

"metric [P]hilips"

??? Is there such a thing? I thought the Phillips head screwdriver spec. was set, and independent of Metric vs. SAE...

[DavErb]

Metric threaded with a Phillips head I'd think. Probably some bolts sitting around a shop somewhere when whoever it was stripped out or lost the Allen headed bolts.

[shbop]

Does anyone know if there's a resistance measurement for the coil section, and what the proper end play should be, for the shaft? Working with parts from a box. Thanks in advance.

[SRT356/911]

I keep reading where one is supposed to mark the distributor gear before removing it from the shaft.

What is the net effect if it the gear is reinstalled 180 degrees out from where it was originally?

[Gunter]

I think the hole for the pin is off center and the gear can only be installed one way. Not true; correction:
Revised: I looked at my '82 SC distributor and the pin-hole looks centered.
Since it has an even number of 12 teeth, it shouldn't matter if the gear is installed 180deg off.
Generally, it's good common practise to mark before dismantling anything.

[holtjv]

Originally Posted by SRT356/911

I keep reading where one is supposed to mark the distributor gear before removing it from the shaft.

What is the net effect if it the gear is reinstalled 180 degrees out from where it was originally?

Awesomely bad running b/c the timing will be so far off. It won't be hard to tell, believe me.


hth.

Jack

[SRT356/911]

Do you mean spitting, popping, and the best you can get the timing down to is 40 degrees advanced at 3500 RPM's?

[patkeefe]

I think the question regards the gear, not the entire distributor.
I don't think the gear being 180 out matters, BTW, unless the pin hole is indeed offset. I don't recall any offset in my SC distributor.
Pat

[Gunter]

I looked at my '82 SC distributor and the pin-hole looks centered.
Since it has an even number of 12 teeth, it shouldn't matter if the gear is installed 180deg off.
Generally, it's good common practise to mark before dismantling anything.

SRT356/911:
It sounds to me that your distributor is installed with 1 tooth off?
Pull it out and rotate 1 tooth before pushing back into the worm-gear on the crankshaft and try again.
Other reasons for the timing being off that much is:
The worm-gear on the crank was installed the wrong way around during rebuild and:
The green wire from the distributor to the CDI module got the wrong polarity when splicing.

[SRT356/911]

Jerry Woods had gone through my 78SC distributor and reset the curve. We had a long chat about gears and what the engine was doing.

Bottom line is Jerry was correct about the gear and causes of the bad running. Gear can go which ever way, makes no difference. Distributor fires after the tab clears the mark.

I took off the Nology wires, made new plug wires from scratch using some old Bosch connectors that checked out, gapped the plugs down to .025 and it runs like a top. All missing gone and I was able to set the timing right where Jerry said

I had installed an MSD 6Al CD unit. And that is what they like when it comes to running well. Nology wires work well when you are running stock components. MSD units do not work well with Nology wires.

Thanks all.

[Vereeken]

Gunter,

Thanks. Good write up. Used it, cleaned it installed it.

Two remarks:

When you said take care of the very small dowel pin you ofcourse meant the VERY VERY VERY small dowel pin.

I had no luck in finding the SST Nobeer. Must only be available in the US

Michel

[mca]

Gunter,

Great write up. At a moderately careful pace I was able to complete the cleaning in about 3 hours. Your directions were perfect. Thanks a ton!

My dizzy was pretty nasty. Here are a couple of pics - before and after.

The dark area is dirt ... not poor lighting. It was really caked on.




Regarding the functionality of the dizzy, I noticed that the weights can only move so far before they reach a stopping point. Is this what governs max advance for distributors? If not, what does?

Thanks again,
Craig

[holtjv]

Jeez..that dizzy really needed a cleaning. Mine was not nearly so dirty.

Regarding the (very) small metal dowel--be careful not to lube it or the shaft groove. It slipped out of place on my dizzy and left me stranded. It took me a week of hunt and replace diagnosis before Jamie Novak gave me the idea to look at the diz.

[mca]

Originally Posted by holtjv

Jeez..that dizzy really needed a cleaning. Mine was not nearly so dirty.

Regarding the (very) small metal dowel--be careful not to lube it or the shaft groove. It slipped out of place on my dizzy and left me stranded. It took me a week of hunt and replace diagnosis before Jamie Novak gave me the idea to look at the diz.

Well crap ... I oiled mine. But I don't see how the dowel could come out as long as it is seated properly. Maybe if one of the circlips came off and let the timer core rise enough for the dowel to fall out.

[holtjv]

I don't know how mine came out, honestly, unless it just wasn't seated well to begin with, which is possible.

I took it apart and wiped it down and not had a problem since. It could also be that mine was worn a bit more than yours thus looser in the groove.

[Gunter]

Craig:
Feels good, eh?

Using oil for assembly is o.k.
The very small dowel is held in place because of a tight fit plus the washer/circlip prevents it from coming out.

The expansion-limit for the weights is normal.
You may have noticed that the weights actuate the upper half of the shaft.
Thats the mechanical advance.
Very important to lube the upper half with a few drops of oil under the small felt.

Now you can check the curve.
Mark the pulley every 5-6 mm with white paint, then get the Stobelight ready.
Have someone rev at various RPM like 2k, 3k, 4k, 5k while you note the degrees first with vacuum and then without.

Let me know what you find.

[rufrob]

Hi guys. Very interesting thread. I wish I found this years before it would have spared me the issue I have now. My 81-930 idle started intermittently bouncing. Checking final uncovered the dizzy had play in the top bushing. It is possible to shim it in someway rather than punching out the old bushing and pressing in a new one? Here in Japan finding such parts are next to impossible so where can I order such a bushing? or shim?

Thanks
Rob

[holtjv]

Originally Posted by rufrob

Hi guys. Very interesting thread. I wish I found this years before it would have spared me the issue I have now. My 81-930 idle started intermittently bouncing. Checking final uncovered the dizzy had play in the top bushing. It is possible to shim it in someway rather than punching out the old bushing and pressing in a new one? Here in Japan finding such parts are next to impossible so where can I order such a bushing? or shim?

Thanks
Rob

Rob--did you take it apart to see exactly what's worn or broken? You may just have something loose...J

[Gunter]

Originally Posted by rufrob

Hi guys. Very interesting thread. I wish I found this years before it would have spared me the issue I have now. My 81-930 idle started intermittently bouncing. Checking final uncovered the dizzy had play in the top bushing. It is possible to shim it in someway rather than punching out the old bushing and pressing in a new one? Here in Japan finding such parts are next to impossible so where can I order such a bushing? or shim?

Thanks
Rob

There is no bushing, the housing is the bore.
How much play do you have?
More than 0.002"?
Take it apart.
Remove the gear from the shaft.
Inspect the weights and springs.
If they're good, leave the in place.
Take the housing and shaft to a machine shop and explain what you need.
Ask them to make a bushing with an I.D. for the shaft and an O.D. for the housing.
They'll bore out the housing and press-fit the new bushing observing the needed dimensions so the contact surface of the bushing is in the same place as the old one.
Re-assemble and enjoy.

[SCrescue]

When I tried to disassemble mine ('79 US model), I was unable to remove the pulse generator and coil because the timer core (star wheel) was too tight on the shaft. I tried to use a variety of pullers to remove the wheel, but had to quit when I started to mangle it. Anyone else have this problem? And yes, all retention hardware had been removed at that point...

Question: Does anyone one know what the correct spec callout is for the gap between the star wheel and the stator towers? I searched, but couldn't find it anywhere.

Mike...