The Ford Barn

fritz29 · 09-09-2022, 03:46 PM

The cam is stuck on one of my distributor shafts.
Anyone have any ideas on how to free it?

Marshall V. Daut · 09-09-2022, 04:17 PM

Heat the distributor cam with an acetylene torch, but not red hot. If the distributor is out of the engine, immediately dunk the hot cam into a bucket of water. Repeat heating and quenching cycles until the cam can be pried off the upper distributor shaft.

If the distributor is still in the engine, allow the hot cam to cool and repeat heating-cooling cycles. It will take longer than quenching it in a bucket of water, but eventually heat will do the trick.
Marshall

Gene F · 09-09-2022, 08:17 PM

Hmmm. It you pop it out, can you straddle it in a vise, take the cam screw out, and get a long narrow drift punch to bottom out without chewing up the threads? Proably just a few light taps, and the shaft might drop out. A helper might be handy.

GeneBob · 09-10-2022, 10:28 AM

If is is out of the car, I have had good luck with Evaporust. Put it in a coffee can with enough Evaporust to cover the cam and walk away for about 3 days. Then spray with penetrating oil and let that soak for several minutes to a day. You should be able to start moving it. If not, then go for the big guns mentioned earlier.

rotorwrench · 09-10-2022, 10:29 AM

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Tight fitting steel parts like that don't take too many years to seize in place. I use a heat gun that will get a part up to the boiling temperature of water. This is usually less than 250 degrees F. Hit it with water and it will shock the part joint. As was previously mentioned, this may take a few times. Lock the bottom of the shaft in a soft jaw vice and use the cam turning tool to get it to move with liberal use of penetrating oil. It will move eventually and then it can be taken off the shaft.

09-09-2022, 03:46 PM	#1
fritz29 Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 9	distributor cam stuck The cam is stuck on one of my distributor shafts. Anyone have any ideas on how to free it?

09-09-2022, 04:17 PM	#2
Marshall V. Daut Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Davenport, Iowa Posts: 2,112	Re: distributor cam stuck Heat the distributor cam with an acetylene torch, but not red hot. If the distributor is out of the engine, immediately dunk the hot cam into a bucket of water. Repeat heating and quenching cycles until the cam can be pried off the upper distributor shaft. If the distributor is still in the engine, allow the hot cam to cool and repeat heating-cooling cycles. It will take longer than quenching it in a bucket of water, but eventually heat will do the trick. Marshall

09-09-2022, 08:17 PM	#3
Gene F Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,975	Re: distributor cam stuck Hmmm. It you pop it out, can you straddle it in a vise, take the cam screw out, and get a long narrow drift punch to bottom out without chewing up the threads? Proably just a few light taps, and the shaft might drop out. A helper might be handy.

09-10-2022, 10:28 AM	#4
GeneBob Senior Member Join Date: May 2017 Location: Denver Area Posts: 433	Re: distributor cam stuck If is is out of the car, I have had good luck with Evaporust. Put it in a coffee can with enough Evaporust to cover the cam and walk away for about 3 days. Then spray with penetrating oil and let that soak for several minutes to a day. You should be able to start moving it. If not, then go for the big guns mentioned earlier.

09-10-2022, 10:29 AM	#5
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 16,440	Re: distributor cam stuck Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Tight fitting steel parts like that don't take too many years to seize in place. I use a heat gun that will get a part up to the boiling temperature of water. This is usually less than 250 degrees F. Hit it with water and it will shock the part joint. As was previously mentioned, this may take a few times. Lock the bottom of the shaft in a soft jaw vice and use the cam turning tool to get it to move with liberal use of penetrating oil. It will move eventually and then it can be taken off the shaft.