Distributor issues

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Dec 21, 2017 | 07:43 AM

Copebryn

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Joined: Dec 2017

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Distributor issues

My 88 f-150 4.9 keeps going through distributors. I will be driving and it will start acting like it's starving for something and becomes week on the throttle. Then the cat will get really hot and the next thing I know the roll pin in the distributor is broken off for the cam shaft gear and I loose spark. This is the 2nd time that this has happened the same exact way. Anybody have any suggestion? Sorry if there is another thread out there like this but I have searched and didn't find one.

Dec 21, 2017 | 06:52 PM

'89F2urd

Lead Driver

Joined: May 2011

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What distributors are you using, or what replacement roll pin? How hard is your oil pump to turn? How hard is the distributor to turn when you have it out of the engine?

Dec 22, 2017 | 05:57 AM

Briansshop

Fleet Mechanic

Joined: Aug 2005

Posts: 1,277

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From: MD

You say it's the second time it has happened, how many mileage between incidents? Guessing that the roll pin is breaking and the gear is slowly moving on the distributor shaft retarding timing. Heat in the exhaust and low power until it moves enough to shutdown.

Dec 22, 2017 | 08:25 AM

arse_sidewards

Laughing Gas

Joined: Feb 2016

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Did the distributor gear look damaged?

Remove the cap and gear from the distributor, install the oil pump drive, bolt the distributor down tight using the tab (just like it would be when installed) and tell us whether it turns relatively freely. If it doesn't repeat without the oil pump drive and report back.