I need to replace the Distributor Ignition Pickup in my distributor and have removed the cap and rotor, as well as the short screw inside the top of the shaft, the plastic 'dust shield' underneath the rotor, and the retaining C-Clip near the top of that shaft that appears to hold everthing securly inside the disty. I've also loosened the two screws holding the old Dist Ign Pickup in place. Problem is, the assembly simply will not pull up out of the distributor! What else is holding everything to the shaft so that I cannot remove the silver cover over my Dist Ign Pickup? I've looked at all of the parts that came with my new kit (including the silver "cap" thingy") and can see nothing that should be preventing me from pulling the assemply up off of the center shaft. Any help would be appreciated. I think that it's just stuck... but certainly don't want to go and force something that obviously does not want to come up out of the distributor.
I'm not actually trying to remove my distributor, but I figured that the instructions that someone might give for my problem would help others who might search and find this thread who are attempting to remove their own uncooperative distributor. Thank You.
Greg the "silver cap" you're trying to get off is the trigger wheel and they are difficult to get off.Once you have the c-clip off there's nothing else holding it on.It's a combination of tight tolerance on the bore and years of oxidation.If you are going to be reusing it you have to be very carefull not to bend it.I've had sucess slowly working around the edge with a small screwdiver but be gentle.It wouldn't hurt to shoot a bit of anti-seize down the center.Good luck.
1986-GTV6
1989-75 Twinspark very sadly sold-remarkable sedan !
2014 Audi Q5 3.0l TDI - torque MONSTER
1989-75 Twinspark very sadly sold-remarkable sedan !
2014 Audi Q5 3.0l TDI - torque MONSTER
yeah thats not a fun one...i pulled the dizzy off the car ...grabbed the trigger wheel and used a punch on the dist shaft inside the trigger retaining hole ..this way i was exerting the least amount of force on the trigger...its tricky
once you do get it off ..use some fine sand paper to clean up the shaft and inside of the trigger and coat with some anti seize..when putting the trigger wheel back in place verify that all of the spokes are within the same tolerance from the pickup
once you do get it off ..use some fine sand paper to clean up the shaft and inside of the trigger and coat with some anti seize..when putting the trigger wheel back in place verify that all of the spokes are within the same tolerance from the pickup
Ah, that explains it! Fortunately the new Ignition pickup came with a new trigger wheel. This was a real head scratcher. I looked at the new trigger wheel, then back at the old one and for the life of me couldn't figure out what was preventing it from coming off. It's really stuck... so much so that I really began to wonder if I was tugging on something that was most certainly still attached to the distributor by a hidden clip or screw. Anti seize is the route I'll take... and then I'll try wrestling the thing off with a bit more determination.
The car has been in the garage for two years and I'm trying to bring it out of its sleep. It always had cold start problems (even at 70 degrees) and there was a noticeable lack of power from time to time (although the compression is good and on a good day it had power to spare). One by one I've replaced the fuel filter, coil, cap, rotor, cold start valve, thermo time switch, and aux air valve. Changed the oil and filters. Changed just about everything but but the plug wires (which I fear is the next step). Haven't changed the plugs yet, but they were new when the car was parked and might be as uncooperative to get out as the trigger wheel. Don't want to break one off just yet.
I turn the key, the fuel pump kicks in with all new fuel, fuel arrives at the engine, the cold start valve gets fuel, spark gets to the disti, the starter cranks... and then nothing. It really was time to replace all of tho$e things, so no real money wasted so far. Need to check to see if fuel is making it to the injectors. Meanwhile, I stand here leaning over the engine, smartly tugging on a trigger wheel and making noises much less satisfying than the Italian music that I recall that comes from the exhaust pipe. I'll proceed slowly and carefully. Thank You so much for your advice.
The car has been in the garage for two years and I'm trying to bring it out of its sleep. It always had cold start problems (even at 70 degrees) and there was a noticeable lack of power from time to time (although the compression is good and on a good day it had power to spare). One by one I've replaced the fuel filter, coil, cap, rotor, cold start valve, thermo time switch, and aux air valve. Changed the oil and filters. Changed just about everything but but the plug wires (which I fear is the next step). Haven't changed the plugs yet, but they were new when the car was parked and might be as uncooperative to get out as the trigger wheel. Don't want to break one off just yet.
I turn the key, the fuel pump kicks in with all new fuel, fuel arrives at the engine, the cold start valve gets fuel, spark gets to the disti, the starter cranks... and then nothing. It really was time to replace all of tho$e things, so no real money wasted so far. Need to check to see if fuel is making it to the injectors. Meanwhile, I stand here leaning over the engine, smartly tugging on a trigger wheel and making noises much less satisfying than the Italian music that I recall that comes from the exhaust pipe. I'll proceed slowly and carefully. Thank You so much for your advice.
Last edited by GregTX on Mon Apr 07, 2008 7:30 am, edited 2 times in total.
Greg,
Follow Sh0rtlife's suggestion and take the dizzy off the car, it's much much easier to dismantle then. Remember to put the engine at TDC1 first to simplify putting it back together again once you're done.
Whilst at the dizzy check the thick green wire that comes off the brown plastic plug on the distributor body as the plastic coating becomes fragile with age and it tends to fray and fail at the dizzy end right by the connector. The wire is coax taking the timing refence signal to your ignitor and if it's degrading you'll get all sorts of running or starting issues.
S
Follow Sh0rtlife's suggestion and take the dizzy off the car, it's much much easier to dismantle then. Remember to put the engine at TDC1 first to simplify putting it back together again once you're done.
Whilst at the dizzy check the thick green wire that comes off the brown plastic plug on the distributor body as the plastic coating becomes fragile with age and it tends to fray and fail at the dizzy end right by the connector. The wire is coax taking the timing refence signal to your ignitor and if it's degrading you'll get all sorts of running or starting issues.
S
83' GTV6, 3.0 24v supercharged
Not an issue. I used the "cram a screwdriver in the AFM to hold the air door open" trick so that it would trip the switch that makes it think that the car is running. That was mainly to test my old cold start valve and to test the functioning of the fuel pump itself after the long hibernation. Without the screwdriver, it operates just as it should... er.. shouldn't. AFM checks out OK.
Well, here we are a week later, and repeated soakings of KROIL, and the trigger wheel is still stuck. I can't help but think that I've missed something. I'm not ready to remove the distributor yet... no experience with that throughout the ownership of my many cars. Does anyone have a schematic of the distributor, or know where one is online? Something that would show all of the parts and how they go together? The trigger wheel simply will not budge.
Dist is easy to remove.
unplug wires
turn engine until TDC mark is lined up with pointer (turn in normal running direction only!)
use magic marker to make alignment marks at base of dist and head, dist rotor and body.
remove dist clamp
pull dist straight out of head.
note direction of and amount of rotor turning as dist comes out
to go back in turn rotor to the opposite side of its alignment mark by the ammount that it moved when you took dist out.
you will likely have to wiggle the rotor around a bit to get the drive gear to mesh, but once you get dist in right all your marks will line up.
don't turn engine without dist in place (no need to on this job, but I don't know what else you are doing)
set your dist clamp
hook up your wireing
at this point, if all else is well I'd set the timing, etc
hth
Scott
unplug wires
turn engine until TDC mark is lined up with pointer (turn in normal running direction only!)
use magic marker to make alignment marks at base of dist and head, dist rotor and body.
remove dist clamp
pull dist straight out of head.
note direction of and amount of rotor turning as dist comes out
to go back in turn rotor to the opposite side of its alignment mark by the ammount that it moved when you took dist out.
you will likely have to wiggle the rotor around a bit to get the drive gear to mesh, but once you get dist in right all your marks will line up.
don't turn engine without dist in place (no need to on this job, but I don't know what else you are doing)
set your dist clamp
hook up your wireing
at this point, if all else is well I'd set the timing, etc
hth
Scott
Greg I don't have a diagram but I can assure you that once you have the rotor and C-clip off the trigger wheel is only held on by interferance between its bore and the shaft.I've had mine on and off many times while setting up Megasquirt ignition control.My next suggestion would be to get a propane torch and try heating the steel center of the trigger wheel to see if you break the bond.
1986-GTV6
1989-75 Twinspark very sadly sold-remarkable sedan !
2014 Audi Q5 3.0l TDI - torque MONSTER
1989-75 Twinspark very sadly sold-remarkable sedan !
2014 Audi Q5 3.0l TDI - torque MONSTER
It's off! We can all only hope that American Airlines MD-80's are built to such tight tolerances. That little bugger reeeeeally did not want to come off. The trigger wheel came off in pieces. The larger portion of the trigger detached from the collar that fits over the shaft. For reference, there is another C-clip under the trigger wheel that holds the Distributor Ignition Pickup in place. I removed that clip, and then detached the arm that connects the Dist Ign Pickup to the vacuum advance plunger (also refusing to budge for a while). I pulled the Dist Ign Pickup assembly up and off of the shaft and heard a spring pop underneath. The small spring underneath the Dist Ign Pickup has come off... and I only see one, but it looks like there should be two. I can tell where one end of the spring needs to be re-attached to, but would really like a pic or explanation as to where the other end attaches to before I go putting things back together. What is the function of that little spring 
Thanks to everyone who helped out with all of the great advice and suggestions. 
We can all only hope that American Airlines MD-80's are built to such tight tolerances. That little bugger reeeeeally did not want to come off. The trigger wheel came off in pieces. The larger portion of the trigger detached from the collar that fits over the shaft. For reference, there is another C-clip under the trigger wheel that holds the Distributor Ignition Pickup in place. I removed that clip, and then detached the arm that connects the Dist Ign Pickup to the vacuum advance plunger (also refusing to budge for a while). I pulled the Dist Ign Pickup assembly up and off of the shaft and heard a spring pop underneath. The small spring underneath the Dist Ign Pickup has come off... and I only see one, but it looks like there should be two. I can tell where one end of the spring needs to be re-attached to, but would really like a pic or explanation as to where the other end attaches to before I go putting things back together. What is the function of that little spring Thanks to everyone who helped out with all of the great advice and suggestions. 
Now on to the latest.... The car was parked for two years for a typical second gear synchromesh problem and a stubborn cold start issue. I've replaced a number of things (listed below) and the car still will not start. The starter just cranks and cranks and cranks. There's an occasional huff from the engine after number cranks, but I think that it's more due to compression from the engine turning over rather than any real ignition. The car used to run fine once it was up and running.
I've replaced the Dist Ign Pickup, Rotor, Cap, Coil, Spark Plugs, Cold Start Valve, Aux Air Valve, and the Thermal Time Switch. The tank was nearly on empty when it was parked and I added fuel stabilizer and five fresh gallons of gas before even turning the key. The fuel pump pumps fuel and it is visable at the engine. I have not replaced the spark plug wires. What on earth should I check next? I'd hate to think that my exciting distributor wrestling episode was all for nothing. I'd take it to a mechanic, but can't find one who's familiar with Alfa's in Austin.