I have been trying to Remove the Distributor on my 1996 F350 460 5.7 Engine all day. I started out Gentle and Atempting to Just get it Moving Back and Forth, Well that was not happening. I then put a Pair of Vice Grips on it and it still would not Turn. Keep in Miond I have been Spraying this with Liquid Wrench for the PAst Week as I waited for my New Distributor and Parts to Come in the Mail. I also tried Heat with a Torch on Low and Avoided the Gasket Area, Heated the Area on and Off and then attempted turning again. I finally Decided what the Heck I have a New Distributor, So I got a Little More Aggressive with a Pipe Wrench and as I Cranked down on the Pipe Wrench it Just Broke The Aluminum Shaft of The Old Distributor That I am Trying to Remove.

In all my years of Auto Mechanic and working on Engines, I have never seen a Distributor Freeze to the Block such as this one has on my 460 Ford.

I just need Help as to What would you do? I mean next, after the Shaft is Broken and the Distributor Assembly still refuses to break Free? I have Though about Taking a Grinder or Saw Saw with a Metal Blade to "Split the Frozen Housing, but then I will risk Getting Aluminum Shavings down into the Engine, Which Im going to Clean it out and do an oil change after I get the New Distributor, Wires and Plugs installed, so a Few Shavings may be tolerable? Your Thoughts Please, has this ever happened to anyone else when attempting to replace a Distributor?

Attaching Photos,the Liquid in Photos is PB Blaster and Yes, I know it looks Bad, so you don't have to tell me that, that's why I'm here, to ask for advice, as I'm almost at the end of my rope with this Seized Distributor.

Thanks in advance for your Reply and Advice

 

More info: I read in another post on this forum where one person had dropped the oil pan and removed oil pump and then punched the old distributor out that way. I am thinking about going this route, after I give this one more effort from the topside. Waiting to see if there are any other ideas from forum. I'm stuck with no vehicle at the house I'm at so I have to order parts and wait 2-3 days depending on where I buy parts, I thought about attempting to use the Freeze Spray or dry ice, but am not able to drive and get those items as I'm in a rural area where I'm stuck with the truck dismantled.

 

I would consider taking a WOOD chisel and pounding under the body of the distributor. It looks like the only place you can get at it is by the bolt hole. gradually work as much area as possible.

A real bummer being stuck with no transportation.

 

Thanks 88n94, I will give that a try. Just did some more Tapping with a Metal Chisel attempting to get whats left of the Base to Turn, then resprayed PB Blaster. No Luck, Its frozen in the Block really good.
Ready to order the Oil Pan Gasket and Oil Pump Gaskets just in case I have to Drop the Oil Pan to Punch this out from Underneath.

 

I just had this happen on my 1978 Ranchero with 351M engine. I found a 50/50 mixture of ATF and Acetone made a very effective penetrating fluid.

 

Air chisel, or cold chisel and a hammer

 

Goal!!!
Just got the seized distributor pulled! I had read where someone on the forum said the used a come-a-long hoist to pull their stuck distributor, and my neighbor walked over to see my progress, I told him about the come-a-long post. My neighbor suggested a bottle jack? I thought about it and I decided to try it, because the next step was drop oil pan and I did not want to go that route, well it took some Hilly Billy Engineering but it worked. See attached photos. I removed the Thermostat housing and set aside hose, then put small wood block over thermostat opening as base for bottle jack. I then used a 2x4 along with a heavy metal rod as a pendulum and a chain and a stranded old dog cable. As soon as I got the chain and cable banjo string tight I started to pound with chisel and one side came up about 1/8 inch! I then readjusted bottle jack and chain to put upward pressure on the opposite side and did same process, it finally popped up, however just to the next o ring, so I once again adjusted bottle jack and chain to go ahead and pull her on out. MSN I hope this helps future members of forum if they find theirselves with a seized distributor in their Ford 460.
I have not started her up yet as I want to change oil and plugs and wires tomorrow, then set timing. I'll update you all after she fires up!
Thanks to all that took time to read my problem and Special Thanks to you guys that took the time to post a reply. Looked for the flywheel housing with timing marks quickly today but no luck, so I'm hoping that somehow my timing housing has not been damaged or removed, I'll update tomorrow after she's running. BTW the distributor that was seized was a Red MSD, I could not afford to buy another MSD so I just put a cheaper assembly in there. See photos.
Bottle Jack put upward pressure on distributor while I tapped with chisel on base



Here is what it looked like after coming out



New distributor when in nice and amazingly the hole was not beat up at all, as I kept my chisel directed to the aluminum distributor shaft.

 

Nice! Glad to hear you finally got it out. That was redneck engineering at its finest but it did the trick and that's all that matters.

 

wow. nice job.where there's a will there's a way!

 

Back when I was in high school auto mechanics class, our instructor hooked an engine hoist (the old chain type that slid along on a metal beam above our heads) to pull a stuck distributor out of 75 Cougar (with 351M) and he almost got the front wheels off the ground before it broke loose.

 

So I gotta ask. Should we use anti seize on the base to help avoid the issue?

 

What brand distributor did you purchase?

 

I would say yes. It sure isn't going to hurt.

 

thanks for the post and answers guys. i'm in the same boat with a 1984 460. gunna try the bottle jack then come-a-long idea and hope it works.

 

At the base of the distributor head is a large "square" cast into the aluminum.

Clean the distributor-to-block interface with trans fluid and a toothbrush, wipe down then soak that area with PB solvent.

The idea here is to get a 15 adjustable wrench or similar onto the "square", with a length of pipe over the handle to increase torque.

If you need to remove fan, fan shroud, even the radiator to get a straighter shot, do so.

Work back and forth, DON'T RUSH IT.

This method has always worked for me.

The O-ring seal Ford used is well below the surface, even greasing them on re-install doesn't seem to help much.