UPDATE: Stuck distributor

[lesismore]

Ok so I made some progress, many people offered tips on what issues I may have and options for repair.

Quick backstory, my engine was cranking with no binding or odd noises but distributor was not spinning. Thought maybe bad cam fiber gear, bad shaft gear, shaft tab, etc. Well, turns out the distributor body and shaft was rusted in the head, and upper shaft in the body. The shaft gear still turned and sheared the tab off. So there was the failure point. I removed side cover to find all of the stuff below the broken tab still spinning, hooray!

So it was a chore, but I drilled out the shaft pins and pounded out the upper shaft. The distributor has one long brass sleeve instead of the two Snyders sell as a replacement. Looks pretty good, going to hone it out a bit to clean it up, as I don't see a way to remove it. (Suggestions welcomed)

So the big question is....
Do you guys have any tricks or homemade tools to clean the head guide where the shaft was rusted in. I used emery cloth and cleaned the larger diameter, but the smaller diameter the shaft spins in could use a cleaning. What have you guys done?

[Tom Wesenberg]

Something like a gun bore wire brush should work. You aren't thinking of the small head gasket hole the shaft passes through, are you?
Anti-seize on the distributor should help to keep it from sticking in the future.

[lesismore]

I think we are on the same page, the hole on head the distributor slides into, there is a large bore than a smaller one that the shaft spins in, just wanted to clean it out, the wire brush would do it, was thinking more like honing but I think a wire brush will do the trick, thanks, sometimes we overlook the easy route

[Brentwood Bob]

Try a plumbers wire brush. Try it by hand, or cut the twisted wire handle and chuck it up in a portable drill. I use kroil, pb blaster, or other rust penetrant first and let it soak for a while. put a rag under the hole in the valve chamber to catch all the crud when you ream out the small hole with the round plumbers wire brush. then liberally coat the new shaft with grease. When you pull the distributor to service the points grease it again. Each time you check the points visually fill the oil reservoir that oils the top bushing of the distributor.

[tbirdtbird]

Tom hit it dead on. The smaller hole you see is the hole in the head gasket for the shaft to pass thru.

Shouldn't need much cleaning. def. NOT honing

Remember any cleaning you do in the dizzy bore in the head or to that head gasket hole will cause the particles to fall into the valve chamber and muck everything up. Lay a rag in there to catch it all

[lesismore]

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hey Bob, what kind of grease do you recommend for the shaft, and kind of oil do i put in the oiling cup, just engine oil or 3-in-1 or something?

[H. L. Chauvin]

FWIW: Humble Opinion:

1. It appears an enormous number of messages were posted on both Forums over the past 18 years about "rust stuck" distributors to the point where it was so rampant that distributer puller tools were later made & sold to extract same.

2. Just a couple of causes formerly reported for stuck distributors were either a leaking head gasket around the distributor hole(s), or humid condensation where moisture caused the metal to rust.

3. If anyone ever wants to "never" have a stuck distributor or a rusted distributor shaft there is a "thin" coating one can provide on the exposed parts of the distributor & the lower exposed distributor shaft surfaces & also on the round hole(s) in the cast iron.

A. Thoroughly remove "all" coats of old paint; clean exposed metal surfaces with POR 15 Marine Clean; wire brush rusted or pitted metal surfaces; apply POR 15 Metal Prep, & finally provide (2) very "thin" coats of POR 15 mixed with 20% POR 15 Thinner, all provided in "strict" compliance with POR 15 written instructions.

B. Warranty: When the Egyptian Kings return to their pyramids to eat the wheat left for them over 5,000 years ago in their tombs, they can cross the Atlantic Ocean, come to America, dig up Model A engines & they will not be able to find one "stuck" distributor in a Model A engine that was "properly" coated with POR 15.

C. Warranty Conditions: Just in case anyone does not believe this, just sit & wait on the east coast & you can witness the amazed looks on the faces of the Egyptian Archeological Crew as they dig up Model A engines & easily remove the distributors from the Model A heads. If you are not completely satisfied, just call POR 15 for a refund of purchase & shipping charges -- but wait, they will also send you a "Free" paint brush.

4. On the serious side, I hope this POR 15 coating remedy helps Model A owners avoid so many future "stuck" distributor problems.

[Tom Wesenberg]

You want the head hole and the bottom shaft of the cast body to be clean and free of rust, so it will give the distributor a good ground. Anti-seize should work well for the job.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by H. L. Chauvin

FWIW: Humble Opinion:

1. It appears an enormous number of messages were posted on both Forums over the past 18 years about "rust stuck" distributors to the point where it was so rampant that distributer puller tools were later made & sold to extract same.

2. Just a couple of causes formerly reported for stuck distributors were either a leaking head gasket around the distributor hole(s), or humid condensation where moisture caused the metal to rust.

3. If anyone ever wants to "never" have a stuck distributor or a rusted distributor shaft there is a "thin" coating one can provide on the exposed parts of the distributor & the lower exposed distributor shaft surfaces & also on the round hole(s) in the cast iron.

A. Thoroughly remove "all" coats of old paint; clean exposed metal surfaces with POR 15 Marine Clean; wire brush rusted or pitted metal surfaces; apply POR 15 Metal Prep, & finally provide (2) very "thin" coats of POR 15 mixed with 20% POR 15 Thinner, all provided in "strict" compliance with POR 15 written instructions.

B. Warranty: When the Egyptian Kings return to their pyramids to eat the wheat left for them over 5,000 years ago in their tombs, they can cross the Atlantic Ocean, come to America, dig up Model A engines & they will not be able to find one "stuck" distributor in a Model A engine that was "properly" coated with POR 15.

C. Warranty Conditions: Just in case anyone does not believe this, just sit & wait on the east coast & you can witness the amazed looks on the faces of the Egyptian Archeological Crew as they dig up Model A engines & easily remove the distributors from the Model A heads. If you are not completely satisfied, just call POR 15 for a refund of purchase & shipping charges -- but wait, they will also send you a "Free" paint brush.

4. On the serious side, I hope this POR 15 coating remedy helps Model A owners avoid so many future "stuck" distributor problems.

Now, thet's FUNNY, H.L.
Buster T.

[Brentwood Bob]

motor oil, and chassis grease, however the red stuff is hi temp and gooder. Bob

[H. L. Chauvin]

Per Tom's reply #9, just in case anyone has an ungrounded distributor because of caked rust, dirt, hardened grease, thick paint or whatever, remember that one has the set screw & nut to hold the distributor, part #A-12127 which can provide more than sufficient grounding when contacting the distributor.

The Egyptian Archeologist will be amazed to find this also.

Problem is if one forgets this set screw & later complains to POR for no grounding, POR's Warranty will naturally void sending the "Free" paint brush.

[tbirdtbird]

HL, did u forget ur medications?
What are u talking about??

I run my car OK without an archeologistic dude

[H. L. Chauvin]

Mr. Tbird,

We all better get with the modern History Channel Program & encourge the archeologist to keep digging.

After searching & digging, they couldn't find any telephone lines in the Pyramids so they made a solemn declaration that the advanced Egyptian Civilization had wireless.