3.2 distributor failure symptoms

[911 sc]

Can a failed distributor cause poor performance and low hp.

Will the car run if the internal weighted are seized up?

My rotor moves freely until it hits the stops. No side to side wobble . Tiny bit up and down.

[911 sc]

[brighton911]

If the weights were seized, especially in the retarded position as your picture indicates, it will most certainly will run. Higher RPM performance would be affected due to lack of advance. You can take the advance mechanism off and lube with a high temp. grease. Also, as part of regular maintenance, a couple of drops (only) of 30W oil or similar on the sponge in the center of the shaft will keep things happy.

[911 sc]

[Quicksilver]

Originally Posted by brighton911

If the weights were seized, especially in the retarded position as your picture indicates, it will most certainly will run. Higher RPM performance would be affected due to lack of advance. You can take the advance mechanism off and lube with a high temp. grease. Also, as part of regular maintenance, a couple of drops (only) of 30W oil or similar on the sponge in the center of the shaft will keep things happy.

On the 3.2 Motronic cars the distributor weights DO NOT control the advance. The advance is controlled completely by the maps programmed into the computer.
The weights simply keep the rotor turned so it is in the correct alignment so it will be near the contact in the cap as RPMs increase with the corisponding advance changes. If the "advance" mechanism has the rotor to far out of phase from the cap the distance the spark has to jump will increase to the point where you will get misfires of crossfires.

So yes, it can make a difference in how well it runs.