Distributor Disassembly Help

[Norm K]

I hate admitting defeat but I figure I should ask for help before using more force than I end up wishing I had.

My new 6AL-2 is working fine so I decided to take it to the next level and lock the distributor, plug in the MAP sensor, hook it up to the laptop and try some timing and boost curves.

Pulled the distributor and went to work. Removed the circlip, keeper and thin washer on the top-side of the stator, then coaxed the stator off (even managed to keep track of the little pin). Removed the next circlip/washer set and ... well, that's about it. I can't get the next level to come off, which means I can't get to the weights and springs and can't disconnect vacuum pot.

I don't want to put too much pressure on the center area where the copper windings are, and going round and round along the circumference hasn't budged things a bit.

What am I missing?

[T77911S]

check the 911 side. i think it is grady clay(??)that did a rebuild thread on the distributor.

[Norm K]

What do you get when you try to disassemble your 930 distributor without your reading glasses on? Embarrassed, that's what.

Went back into the garage after starting this thread and since I needed my reading glasses to type, I kept them on when I went back out. And whattaya know, the blurry little silver things I could sorta see through three cut-outs turned out to be allen-headed bolts. A couple minutes later and the distributor was apart.

At least I didn't pry harder the first go-round ...

[mark houghton]

Originally Posted by nkowi

What do you get when you try to disassemble your 930 distributor without your reading glasses on? Embarrassed, that's what.

Went back into the garage after starting this thread and since I needed my reading glasses to type, I kept them on when I went back out. And whattaya know, the blurry little silver things I could sorta see through three cut-outs turned out to be allen-headed bolts. A couple minutes later and the distributor was apart.

At least I didn't pry harder the first go-round ...

Damn it's a beatch getting old, eyesight starts to fail, muscles (and other things) get soft, hair falls out, and we lose the ability to wrench on our favorite cars.

I have yet to buy a pair of subscription eye glasses, mostly because I'm in a state of denial as to what's about to happen to my age a month from now. I just use cheap-ass Walmart reading glasses to get me by.

[jsveb]

Originally Posted by nkowi

What do you get when you try to disassemble your 930 distributor without your reading glasses on? Embarrassed, that's what.

Went back into the garage after starting this thread and since I needed my reading glasses to type, I kept them on when I went back out. And whattaya know, the blurry little silver things I could sorta see through three cut-outs turned out to be allen-headed bolts. A couple minutes later and the distributor was apart.

At least I didn't pry harder the first go-round ...

LOL. awesome!

[JFairman]

Oh man I can relate to this thread... the generic reading glasses, getting old and not wanting to accept it, and taking apart the distributor.

I'm 58 now and have taken my distributor apart twice and second time I modified the centrifical advance curve. Shortened it by bending the advance stop tabs inwards and delayed it a little by lightening the advance weights so I could advance idle and midrange timing while full centrifical advance stayed the same as stock.

You found the 3 allen heads... Now when you put it back together you'll find that you have to center that bottom plate as good as you can before tightening those allen head screws by using 3 feeler gauges at once to measure the distance of the star shaped wheel at 3 points (making a triangle) to the stationary pointed pickups that go down to the magnet and wire windings that surround it.

I never wrote anything down so i am forgetiing it all but I think it was about a .015" feeler gauge I used to center the star shaped wheel.
It doesn't center itself and magnetic pull works against centering it and you have to fiddle with it to get it centered as good as you can while you slowly tighten those 3 allen screws in small steps.
Take your time, you'll figure it out as you do it. It helps to clamp the distributor in a bench vise with blocks of wood while you do it.

Good luck.

[snbush67]

Originally Posted by mark houghton

Damn it's a beatch getting old, eyesight starts to fail, muscles (and other things) get soft, hair falls out, and we lose the ability to wrench on our favorite cars.

I have yet to buy a pair of subscription eye glasses, mostly because I'm in a state of denial as to what's about to happen to my age a month from now. I just use cheap-ass Walmart reading glasses to get me by.

I bet you have a huge right arm.

[fredmeister]

Originally Posted by nkowi

I hate admitting defeat but I figure I should ask for help before using more force than I end up wishing I had.

My new 6AL-2 is working fine so I decided to take it to the next level and lock the distributor, plug in the MAP sensor, hook it up to the laptop and try some timing and boost curves.

Pulled the distributor and went to work. Removed the circlip, keeper and thin washer on the top-side of the stator, then coaxed the stator off (even managed to keep track of the little pin). Removed the next circlip/washer set and ... well, that's about it. I can't get the next level to come off, which means I can't get to the weights and springs and can't disconnect vacuum pot.

I don't want to put too much pressure on the center area where the copper windings are, and going round and round along the circumference hasn't budged things a bit.

What am I missing?

Glad to see you figured it out.

Can you post your MSD timing and boost curves so we can see what you are running? Alot of folks are going over to the 6al-2 programmable unit but its very rare to find any sample timing curve data or pictures of the MSD retard curves for our turbos.

Thanks,
Fred

[fredmeister]

Originally Posted by JFairman

Oh man I can relate to this thread... the generic reading glasses, getting old and not wanting to accept it, and taking apart the distributor.

I'm 58 now and have taken my distributor apart twice and second time I modified the centrifical advance curve. Shortened it by bending the advance stop tabs inwards and delayed it a little by lightening the advance weights so I could advance idle and midrange timing while full centrifical advance stayed the same as stock.

You found the 3 allen heads... Now when you put it back together you'll find that you have to center that bottom plate as good as you can before tightening those allen head screws by using 3 feeler gauges at once to measure the distance of the star shaped wheel at 3 points (making a triangle) to the stationary pointed pickups that go down to the magnet and wire windings that surround it.

I never wrote anything down so i am forgetiing it all but I think it was about a .015" feeler gauge I used to center the star shaped wheel.
It doesn't center itself and magnetic pull works against centering it and you have to fiddle with it to get it centered as good as you can while you slowly tighten those 3 allen screws in small steps.
Take your time, you'll figure it out as you do it. It helps to clamp the distributor in a bench vise with blocks of wood while you do it.

Good luck.

Do you know if having this slightly off center would cause missing or misfires with the ignition? As long as the star shaped wheel did not hit the pickup posts after locking the allen screws down and spinning the dizzy shaft to check for clearance I thought that might be enuff.

Just wondering if having a slight variance in clearance between the star shaped wheel and different posts could lead to a misfire in the engine---doesn't seem likely but I am not an electrical engineer.

Anybody know?

Fredmeister

[JFairman]

It is supposed to be centered so it sure seems to me that if it is off center at all the magnetic electrical pulse signals created as it spins would be unstable or unequal if you watched them on a scope and seems to me that could cause a missfire or something not right.

Bottom line is it's not hard to center it perfectly with 3 equal size feeler gauges inserted at 3 opposing points triangulated checked and rechecked with patience and feel for a slight drag on the feeler gauges as you slide them between the star wheel that spins and the statinary pointed magnetic steel pins around it.

It should definately be centered so you have to do it or take it to someone that can.
Then tighten those 3 phillips head screws tight with a good screwdriver that fits them just right.