Stuck distributor

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Jul 5, 2001 | 03:19 PM

cphill209

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Joined: Jun 2001

Posts: 8

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Stuck distributor

Has this every happened to anybuddy, I think murphy was jumping all over me this day. I got tired of my truck not starting after warming up and leaving stranded. i had perviously replaced all cables, starter. I was told by the parts store it was the coil or distrubtor. well i got so mad i bought new coil distributor, rotor wires and all. i did everything i t said to pull the distributor. when i tried to pull it out it wouldn't come out it wouldnt turn either busted vacum advance off that way. so i got out the pry bar. busted the top off the distributor off so now i had was a shaft. well after 6-8 hours of prying and everything else. it finally came out.

Jul 5, 2001 | 04:00 PM

beartracks

Lead Driver

Joined: Nov 2000

Posts: 6,620

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From: Albuquerque

Stuck distributor

Holy s&*t!

1977 Ford F-100
400m/c6/4:11/Gear Vender O.D.
Crane hydralic roller, forged, ported polished,Deamon,Edlebrock, yada, yada, yada
280,000 miles
Stock on the outside
modified/rebuilt everything

Jul 5, 2001 | 06:55 PM

85351ho

Postmaster

Joined: Feb 2000

Posts: 2,759

Likes: 2

From: Auburn,Al

Stuck distributor

damn son

1985 F-150/351Ho/4wd
1979 f-250 429(stout 460 on the way)/4spd/6in w/36's,Dana60/44hd,3.54 gears~4.11's comin soon

on a quiet night your can hear a chevy (lol,you can watch a dodge) rusting away

Jul 5, 2001 | 07:34 PM

MEPHISTO_XES

Senior User

Joined: Jun 2001

Posts: 293

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Stuck distributor

Man, what a day!

Jul 5, 2001 | 08:20 PM

RAILMAN

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Joined: Feb 2000

Posts: 103

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Stuck distributor

I feel your pain man, I have worked on several FE's over the past couple of years, and if the dist. hasn't been remove since it left the factory, it was stuck like the one you spoke of. Years of baked on sludge around the dist. shaft causes it to be a pain in the a$$ to get out. I have busted up several distributors trying to pry them out. If you come across the same situation again, try spraying some PB Blaster around the base of the dist. The PB Blaster will somewhat disolve or losen the sludge around the base.

Jul 5, 2001 | 10:27 PM

cphill209

Thread Starter

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Joined: Jun 2001

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Stuck distributor

Yea, after soaking for 2 hours the pb blaster worked i guess or pure grunt not sure which. well everything is back together and running good. the person who set the timing on 4 july stated he thought it was on gear tooth out now, because he cant advance it all the way to the correct postion but the truck runs very well has power starts hot and cold on first crank should i really worry about it being off. he said it was because the oil shaft turned when i pryied the distributor out. does this make since.

Jul 6, 2001 | 09:52 AM

beartracks

Lead Driver

Joined: Nov 2000

Posts: 6,620

Likes: 340

From: Albuquerque

Stuck distributor

The oil pump is turned by the distributor which is turned by the cam gear. Use a timming light to be sure and set it again before it gets stuck! You might be missing some power you didn't know you had.

1977 Ford F-100
400m/c6/4:11/Gear Vender O.D.
Crane hydralic roller, forged, ported polished,Deamon,Edlebrock, yada, yada, yada
280,000 miles
Stock on the outside
modified/rebuilt everything

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Jul 7, 2001 | 01:28 PM

whomrig

Elder User

Joined: Mar 2001

Posts: 898

Likes: 0

From: SF Bay area

Stuck distributor

True, the starter may be bad, but check/clean all battery connections first. Any dirt or corrosion will cause this symptom.

Wayne 60 F-350
e-mail
https://www.ford-trucks.com/users/whomrig

Jul 7, 2001 | 02:10 PM

#10

bluepony79

Senior User

Joined: Jun 2001

Posts: 105

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Stuck distributor

My truck used to drag bad when it was hot and I tried to restart it.After I rebuilt my carb, and reset the timing, it doesn't do it anymore. Murphy never takes a day off, but the PB blaster in his eyes will slow him down!!!

Jul 8, 2001 | 01:01 AM

#11

sparky

Posting Guru

Joined: Jun 1999

Posts: 2,415

Likes: 3

From: Comox Valley, Canada

Stuck distributor

Quote:

How about too much advance on the timing, it will cause that problem when the engine is warm.

Sparky

Jul 8, 2001 | 05:15 PM

#12

fordrulz67

Freshman User

Joined: Jun 2001

Posts: 28

Likes: 0

Stuck distributor

I had the same problem when the engine warmed up and I shut it down and tryed to restart it it would turn over very slugishly. I found that the ground cable comming off the engine block was brokein into, I replaced it and now it turns over better than ever cold or hot.

Pearl Wight, 67 F100,FE352 board 0.060,Holly 600,Edelbrock Preformer Intake, flowtech headers,4.10 rearend,American Racing 200S Wheels

Jul 8, 2001 | 09:00 PM

#13

jowilker

Fleet Owner

Joined: Jun 1999

Posts: 24,552

Likes: 74

From: Creedmoor, North Carolina

Stuck distributor

Jul 9, 2001 | 01:59 AM

#14

RubberDuck

Logistics Pro

Joined: Jul 2001

Posts: 4,137

Likes: 41

From: Marble Falls, Texas

Stuck distributor

Just make sure all your batterie cables are clean and tight. Next take a little off the advanced timing. I'm willing to bet that too far advanced is your problem. Since it was good and stuck, are you sure you tightened the dist. enough? Did it move.