239 Distributor Won't Come Out
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Junior User
Joined: Jul 2003
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239 Distributor Won't Come Out
I have two 239 Y-blocks. One is in my 1954 F100 and the other is a spare. I need to take the distributor out of the engine in the truck to turn the gear CCW about 2 teeth to get the correct timing. Right now the vacuum diaphram is pushed against the intake, and I need to go slightly further. When I was a kid, I remember taking the distributor out of my 289 Mustang, and the connecting oil shaft fell off into the oil pan. I don't want to do that again!
So I decided to practice on the spare engine first. My first problem was that the distributor body was fused to the block. After two days of squirting WD-40 I got it to turn freely. I took the clamp off, gave it a yank, and nothing happend. I then tapped on it to free it up and got nowhere. I sprayed WD-40 down the lubrication port and wiggled the distributor back and forth, from side to side, for another two days and got nothing but a bad back!
I put a wrench on the octagon journel and wiggled it back and forth. Nothing changed.
Anyone have any suggestions on how to free this thing up?
So I decided to practice on the spare engine first. My first problem was that the distributor body was fused to the block. After two days of squirting WD-40 I got it to turn freely. I took the clamp off, gave it a yank, and nothing happend. I then tapped on it to free it up and got nowhere. I sprayed WD-40 down the lubrication port and wiggled the distributor back and forth, from side to side, for another two days and got nothing but a bad back!
I put a wrench on the octagon journel and wiggled it back and forth. Nothing changed.
Anyone have any suggestions on how to free this thing up?
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 323
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From: m571.com/yblock
You could try putting some heat to it if you can, but watch out that you don't start a fire.
I believe that there used to be a special puller made at one time for these problems. They do get stuck sometimes.
I believe that there used to be a special puller made at one time for these problems. They do get stuck sometimes.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,119
Likes: 2
From: Southern New Hampshire
Make up a clamp and wire bail to go tightly around the base of the dizzy and then use a slide hammer to get it loose.
When initially trying to get it to rotate you can use a small size oil filter wrench and gently move it back and forth.
New replacement dizzys available at Advance Auto, NAPA and others use an O ring seal similar to the 289 small block. Pretty much eliminates the seizing problem. Ford introduced that style in 65 as an over the counter replacement item.
When initially trying to get it to rotate you can use a small size oil filter wrench and gently move it back and forth.
New replacement dizzys available at Advance Auto, NAPA and others use an O ring seal similar to the 289 small block. Pretty much eliminates the seizing problem. Ford introduced that style in 65 as an over the counter replacement item.
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Well, I got the distributors out of both of my motors. The spare motor that I wanted to practice on took about 3 hours to do, and the motor in my 1954 F100 took about 2 minutes. THe difference was due to non-use and dissimilar metals. The spare engine probably has not been worked on in decades and the aluminum distributor fused itself to the engine block as if it was welded. The reason that I could spin it back and forth but couldn't pull it out of the block was because I snapped the neck of the distributor in half! I had to saw the distributor shaft in half and then drill out the rest of the distributor! 
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2002
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From: suburban atlanta
Well, I did the first tune-up on my Dad's 292 in 1963. Replaced the points... Tried to set the timing. All this with the instructions on the back of the tune-up kit. Hah.
The dist wouldn't even turn in the block. This was when it was only 4 years old. Had to use a crow-bar to turn the dist. It did, but I wonder what that stressed... as it died a few years later on a trip. Verdict was 'broken camshaft' (I wasn't there) but that doesn't make sense to me. Whatever
Couldn't you have just 'danced' the plug wires around one position in the dist cap and rotated the dist in the opposite direction? That's what I would have done..
tom
The dist wouldn't even turn in the block. This was when it was only 4 years old. Had to use a crow-bar to turn the dist. It did, but I wonder what that stressed... as it died a few years later on a trip. Verdict was 'broken camshaft' (I wasn't there) but that doesn't make sense to me. Whatever
Couldn't you have just 'danced' the plug wires around one position in the dist cap and rotated the dist in the opposite direction? That's what I would have done..
tom
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2002
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From: suburban atlanta
Perhaps I was not clear. If you have to turn the gear 2 teeth CCW, why not move the wires one spot CW? That effectively moves the rotor in the CCW direction.
tom
tom
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 103
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From: Indiana
Try A Little Anti-seeze
Now this will not do you any good getting a distributor out, but anytime I put one In a engine that has a oil ring or not I get out the can of anti-seeze and give it a good coating of the the silver goop. I've never had any trouble getting one out after using this trick. Hope this helps Tom
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