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Distributor slop

Started by Gary 30U, January 16, 2011, 09:48:03 PM

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Gary 30U

I decided to have my distributor rebuilt, as there was some play in the shaft and I figured the bushings were worn.

THE BIGGER PROBLEM? When I went to take the distributor out I found that there was a lot of slop ( I could turn the distributor shaft) about 5+ degrees in the slot in the gear at the bottom of the hole where the distributor goes into the front of the engine. It appears that there is a gear down there that runs off the crank or the cam. I can pull the gear up, but it won't come out the hole where the distributor goes in.

I plan on pulling the engine next month, (Yes -Still trying to find my vibration problem), How do I go about fixing the looseness between the distributor shaft and the gear??? Any ideas would be appreciated.

Hope all of you are getting your winter fixings done.

Gary

Gary 30U

Oops, forgot to mention that you have a week to think about this, as I leave early tomorrow for Scottsdale and be back next Monday.

Looking for some good info when I get back.HELP

Gary

29UJohn

#2
Not sure exactly what you are describing, but it you are talking about the slot at the end of the cam shaft where the distributor connects, I would not be concerned about it.  The slot is off set slightly so that there is only one way to connect the distributor to the camshaft - so you do not get the timing off by 180 degrees!  
If you are talking about that you can turn the distributor shaft where the points are, there is movement there due to the springs in the semi-auto advance system - which is how it is designed.
I suspect your distributor is just fine.  Be very careful pulling the distributor off.  The housing is pot metal and can break.  You can get a new housing in brass, but they are expensive.
John
1929U 4 Dr

Doug

A couple of years ago while out for a ride my 30U quit running. Found the rotor not turning. Had it towed home and took it apart and discovered the cam gear had stripped some teeth off. Got a new gear put it all back together and while timing it I saw the whole thing is very sloppy. Got it timed, runs great. Unless their are signs of very bad wear I wouldn't worry to much.

1929luv

If it is the same slop I had in mine you will need to buy a new Dist housing from Then and Now Antique 781-335-8860 it is in previous chat topics.  They are up to 450.00 now.  But they are the only one that have them.  You will need to send your gears to them and the will make the new one.  But the old pot metal gets sloppy and cant be fixed.  Good luck Craig

Rusty

I ran this by a old timer and he said that you can use JB weld in the pot metal housing.  This is the housing which the dist sits into.  He said he coated the inside  with JB and then had a machine shop bore it out to the diameter of the dist and that worked for years.  The distrib rotates very little in the pot metal angle housing.  It seems like it would work.  Is cheaper that a then n now newly made one.
rusty

Gary 30U

Thanks guys for all the input. Guess I am not so ad off after all.

Gary

Tinkeys

Hi Gary !!
           What the others are saying about distributer slop sounds correct not really  worth worrying over, Vibration issue sounds like whole rotating assembly of engine may require balancing including clutch and pressure plate , My 30U engine has the exact same conditions .

SDGlenn

Hey Gary,
Before you spend a lot of money you may try checking off a couple items I have seen over the years.  First and easiest, if you haven't tryed this yet, take the fan belt off and run the engine, just enough to eliminate the fan and Generator as to being the problem and take a good look at the harmonic balancer for something that would throw it out of balance. The other thing I have seen, especially on the 4 cyl engine, an intermitant miss in one cyl would cause a shake/vibration. It would idle fine but under a little throttle or pressure it would miss fire, either from a plug, a plug wire, or enough slop in the distributor the points wouldn't make a good contact every time. (putting new bushing in the distributor would have taken care of that though) Only my thoughts, good luck, some of those vibes are hard to find.
Glenn


SDGlenn

Gary 30U

Thanks again guys. Always appreciate any input. In getting ready to pull the engine I pulled the distributor and found the shaft was loose and so having it rebuilt with new bushings. Should be back tomorrow. Hopefully that is it. Otherwise the club tech committee is coming out on the 12th to pull the engine. I built an engine stand that I can run it on.(Even has a little dash panel)

If it still has vibration out of the car then I'll pull clutch and flywheel and have them checked before pulling down the engine.

Sure wish some of these problems would turn out to be EASY. Want to get it ready to go to California for the Meet.

Gary