distributor removal
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distributor removal
I need to go and replace my distributor on my aerostar 3.0L. 
Has anyone done this job before and can it even be done with the engine in the car, there's not a lot of clearance. The other question I have is if it would be advisable to replace the camshaft at the same time. I've read that the gears on the distributor are prone to wearing out does the cam gear wear the same?
I'd love to just pull this motor and rebuild it but I don't have the time or money to do so at the moment.
Has anyone done this job before and can it even be done with the engine in the car, there's not a lot of clearance. The other question I have is if it would be advisable to replace the camshaft at the same time. I've read that the gears on the distributor are prone to wearing out does the cam gear wear the same?I'd love to just pull this motor and rebuild it but I don't have the time or money to do so at the moment.
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Joined: Aug 2002
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From: Orland USA
jkorreck:
Yes the distributor can be changed with the engine still in the car. But before you remove it take and scratch a groove on the engine block and shaft of the distributor to show where it lines up. Then take off the cap and with a black felt pen mark on the side of the distributor where the rotor points to ( I turned it until it pointed toward the back), then remove the bolt holding the distributor and lift up slowly. The rotor will turn when you do this. When you pull the distributor out mark where the rotor stops.
Mark the new distributor the same and replace.
Are you sure you have to replace the distributor or is it just the little module on the side of it?
Yes the distributor can be changed with the engine still in the car. But before you remove it take and scratch a groove on the engine block and shaft of the distributor to show where it lines up. Then take off the cap and with a black felt pen mark on the side of the distributor where the rotor points to ( I turned it until it pointed toward the back), then remove the bolt holding the distributor and lift up slowly. The rotor will turn when you do this. When you pull the distributor out mark where the rotor stops.
Mark the new distributor the same and replace.
Are you sure you have to replace the distributor or is it just the little module on the side of it?
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the problem is whoever did the tune up before I got the van broke one of the bolts that holde the cap onto the distributor inside the distributor, then they epoxied it down.
I went to do a tune up a month or two ago and discovered this. (Trying not to complain the van was free and it's really comfortable to drive
) Anyways to get the van back onto the road in the ammount of time I had I put a c-clamp on the cap and distributor to hold that side of it in place.
Now that it's warmer I want to fix the problem the right way.
I went to do a tune up a month or two ago and discovered this. (Trying not to complain the van was free and it's really comfortable to drive) Anyways to get the van back onto the road in the ammount of time I had I put a c-clamp on the cap and distributor to hold that side of it in place. Now that it's warmer I want to fix the problem the right way.
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,041
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From: Orland USA
Well if you can follow what I wrote you should be able to pull out your old distributor and remove the broken bolt/screw and replace the old distributor back. The broken bolt/screw part shouldn't be that hard to remove.
