Oil in distributor advance mechanism

[sigchuck]

Hi guys, I recently picked up a used distributor to have rebuilt for my SC. Upon receipt, it looks to be in relatively nice shape but could benefit from a cleaning/oiling. There is some light oil under the cap that’s extremely sticky, but the end play is only .3mm, which I think I understand is better than average, post rebuild.

I was now thinking maybe I’ll disassemble and clean then see how it does, so I decided to check the advance/retard action (I have an 83 SC and distributor is from an 83). Both sides seemed to work with a mityvac, but after working it back and forth I noticed some oil coming out of the advance side. I’m not sure that the mityvac had anything to do with this (I kind of doubt it), but just wondering how oil would have gotten in here in the first place. There is no oil under the cap other than the remnants of what I think is the original lubricant (certainly not motor oil), so where’s that leave me? Any harm to running it as is, after disassembly and cleaning?

[1QuickS]

Not knowing but guessing response follows.

Possibly the driveshaft allows oil to come into the dizzy body, it is hollow with a felt insert at the top. If the felt is missing then maybe engine oil could migrate up the hollow shaft.

[Discseven]

Kurt speaks about '83 dizzy at the beginning of this...

[Ian Comerford]

From recollection it is advisable to periodically put some oil into the central shaft of the distributor after removing the felt pad. I assume it’s for internal lube purposes, but could this have been what you found when removing yours?