Mark, all the guys suggestions are great, i could only suggest to also just mark say fan or crank pulley to corrresponding point on block with chalk, just so you have easy engine reference point, just to refer to if you have to rock engine slightly to align oil pump drive and cam gear upon reinstallation, can be lucky 1st shot but generally have to rotate engine slightly to get distributor to plop in, do not bang down on dist if not falling in block. best regards bill. 

  AussieBill            YYYY    Forever Y Block     YYYY

 Down Under, Australia

ok, ate my black eyed peas, cabbage and even mustard greens for lunch today, but good luck hasn't really kicked in yet on my dist. situation;

got it out ok, but need some advice on what to do now...

-vacuum advance mechanism:  appears to work... at least I can suck on the vacuum line port and the arm moves a small amount... not sure if its moving enough or if it is requiring too much vacuum to work correct... may be too stiff from a dried out diaphram...??

-breaker plate removal:  got the pertronix module removed (no points/condensor) but I cannot get the breaker plate off... it spins fairly freely, I can see the weights and springs thru a couple of small holes... they appear to be in place, so I squirted a bunch of WD40 on them and will let it sit overnight, but I can't seem to get the plate removed so I can actually see the entire weights and springs assembly... so I have no way to determine if they will move back/forth as they should...

guess I'll stick it back together and try again tomorrow, then if no change, I guess my next step is to get a reman. unit and replace the whole dist...

any more ideas at this point would be welcomed!!

thanks,Mark

"God Bless Texas"location: Houston,TX

Mark:

It sounds like you have the early 57 distributor that has the breaker plate mounted in a ball-bearing race.



To remove the breaker plate you have to remove the screws from the clips that hold the distributor cap in place. Inside the distributor there are 2 spring nuts on these screws that also hold the breaker plate in place and stop the bearing race from rotating with distributor plate. When you get the screws out and save the 2 spring nuts place something that you can hook through the hole that you use with the screwdriver to adjust the points and pull outwards. You may have to rotate the breaker plate so the plate come upward straight not cocked as it is a snug fit.

marv

nope... not quite; the only screws are the ones that the ground wire hooks up to and one on the opposite side and I have both of these and their "L"-shaped clip/nuts that appear to ride on the edge of the breaker plate removed...

if this thing doesn't start playing right with me, a trip to my local advance auto may be next... they show a "Cardone" reman unit for $40.99 with a $10 core charge...

let's see... $40 versus $259 for an MSD dist...

hum...??

nope, that extra $200 should go a long way toward getting the upholstery done!

thanks, Mark

"God Bless Texas"location: Houston,TX

I thought you had the early distributor when you mentioned the plate will go around and around.

Could you post a picture of the inside of the distributor.

marv

stand by while I eat some more black eyed peas...!

"God Bless Texas"location: Houston,TX

Mark:

A little heat from a propane torch or a heat gun around the distributor housiung will usually release the point plate.  On the vacuum advance, suck on the fitting then put your tongue over the hole.  Hold it a few seconds, then remove your tongue to see if the diaphragm is able to maintain vacuum.  If not, the diaphragm is bad.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

 

 

  

 

pics of the dist. not even sure this is "original" to the engine; it has a 57 block and 55 heads!  how about that nasty burned area on the left hand!!! burned it on the exh manifold the other day hooking up the timing light!

"God Bless Texas"location: Houston,TX

I had the same sort of problem a while back in my 58 Villager wagon, turned out to be a fuel supply issue. Original gas tank ,gas lines, carb, etc.... I found the problem was a plugged outlet on the gas tank. I don't know if you've replaced the gas tank, pump and all but it could have something to do with running out of fuel, maybe even a float adjustment.

new tank, cleane out line from front to back, new filter installed, no rubber hose in the fuel system... all steel lines; pretty sure my prob is the dist based on above comments on my symptoms...

"God Bless Texas"location: Houston,TX