Replacing distributor bushings

[luckydynes]

Hello all,

Let me start by saying that I really don't know what my engine OR my distributor is. I did quite a bit of searching for the answer and read a few threads but couldn't find the info I was looking for.

A 3.0L conversion was done years before I bought the car.

The part number on the distributor is:

0237301001

I think it is a later distributor for a few reasons:

1. It has a two colored cap
2. The cap is secured with a couple of screws that twist and lock vs. the spring loaded tabs, although it looks like the detents that the screws lock into are screwed on so it could've started as the spring loaded tab style/been modified?
3. There are no points. It looks to have the factory pickup coil inside it.

So I observed a lot of radial slop in the rotor. In fact I could see where the timing wheel had been light skimming the stationary piece. I pulled her all apart and was surprised at how little the wear was based on the slop, but there's a couple of things that don't make sense.

I expected the lower bushing to be down by the gear, but it's not ... it's about 1/2" below the top bushing. Is this factory? I'll post some pics of what I'm talking about if I'm not making sense.

Also, I've seen oil lite mentioned as a replacement bushing which makes sense, but what is in there does not look like oil lite or bronze. They are a steel backed bushing of some kind ... like a DU bushing. Anyone know if this is factory or has someone been in there?

The vacuum advance unit was removed by someone years ago, so someone was definitely in there ... just not sure they would've got into the bushings.

Thanks or any input,

Sean

[timmy2]

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/911-930-turbo-super-charging-forum/628567-turbo-distributor.html#post6240527

PartsKlassic sells rebuild kits and/or can rebuild yours.

[Gordo2]

Don't know if yours is the same - but here's how I did mine.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/755343-83-sc-ignition-distributor-bushing-replacement.html

Good luck,

Gordo

[luckydynes]

Originally Posted by Gordo2

Don't know if yours is the same - but here's how I did mine.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/755343-83-sc-ignition-distributor-bushing-replacement.html

Good luck,

Gordo

Thanks yes great thread!

Can you tell me if the lower bushing is down by the gear or is it actually just 1/2" below the top bushing?

Thanks!

[luckydynes]

Here's a pic of what I'm talking about.

There is no bushing in the bottom, and on the shaft there is helical grooves cut for oil to lubricate a bushing at this location ... one would think.

Both bushings are up at the top of the distributor on this unit.

There is also no seal in there that I can see. Are there any exploded views floating around that show the seal or does the distributor need machining to put a seal in?

Thanks all!

[luckydynes]

Originally Posted by Gordo2

Don't know if yours is the same - but here's how I did mine.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/755343-83-sc-ignition-distributor-bushing-replacement.html

Good luck,

Gordo

Gordo ... in ur thread I did see a pic where you had the bushings fit loosely on the shaft. Was this the approximate location of where they run? If so it does look like one should be on the bottom, and one should be on the top.

If that is the case, I really should be able to get away with just adding a bushing on the bottom because one of the bushings on the top only has less than .001" clearance.

As I stated earlier it is also interesting that the bushings in this distributor do not look like oil lite ... they are steel backed. I'm curious if that is what actually came from the factory because technically steel backed DU bushings need no lubrication.

cheers

[luckydynes]

So this is interesting.

The i.d. of the distributor is .6230" ... for 5/8 bushing.

The shaft itself is 12.5 mm....

There is also what looks like a seal groove down in there (no seal of course... see pic) ... is that where that seal goes that was shown in Gordo's thread? edit: Looked again at Gordo's thread and he mentions the seal goes below the top bushing and in one of the pics it certainly looks like the bushing is down below .. I feel better now .

Be cool to hear if these are in fact factory numbers.

I'm going to order some 5/8" od bushings from McMaster with 7/16" bore ($1.33/ea) and just open them up... and if anyone can chime in about this bottom bushing location ... that would be nice . I'm on the fence about whether or not to even mess with the top bushing/(bushings in my case) since one of them has virtually no wear.... but I want to do something with the thrust surface. There is a flanged bearing in there right now (I think ... hard to tell in the pic but the center 1" diameter is magnetic) that looks to be pretty much worn away so it's rubbing on the aluminum now. I could put a thrust bearing in there but I think I would have to machine away some of the old bearing in there or the stack up will be too high ... the shims only seemed about .02" total thickness, so I might be have no choice but to get in there and do something with the top bearing/bearings.


cheers

[luckydynes]

More interesting discoveries. I did not notice these thrust washers in the shim stacks. It's the same arrangement below between the gear and body. I think that one gets more of the load on a clockwise rotation distributor, but it is also in an oil bath. I thought the thrust washer/wear component was just the wrong size shim at first. Looks like these are the parts that you guys are replacing with oilite.


I think I'll loctite one of the shims to the top of the distributor body so it doesn't start spinning and gaul the aluminum up more. I don't think the wear is as bad as I thought on that surface. The shim stack/thrust assembly was pretty much glued to the shaft with old grease so it was spinning against the aluminum ... just want to prevent that.

cheers