Distributor bearing frozen again

C

crowshill

Junior Member
Just wondered if someone had an innovative fix. I've oiled it but the pocket through the head seems to have a ton or rust in it. This is the second one, distributor, to do this. I know I don't run it enough or the heat would dissipate the moisture. No head gasket leak. Figure to take the head off and then clean out as much there and in valve chamber as I can get. Only thing I can think of is to pull distributor every year and use bearing grease but this cannot be the best option.

What am I missing?
 
Not sure what you are calling "the bearing". The two bearings have nothing to do with rust in the head. Explain a little more about what breaks or binds up. No one else has this problem.
 
First clean the base of the distributor and the hole that it fits into on the cylinder head.

Then put a coating of anti seize compound on the base of the distributor casting and around the inside of the head where the distributor nests.
 

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I use a straight punch in the oil hole, then pry against the distributor body to pop the oil cup out. Then you can run a steel bore brush through the passage to make sure it clean. I then install new bushings and shaft, and burnish it to a nice fit. I've never had to use a drill or reamer to make the new shaft fit the new bushings.
 
I take a small pair of vice grips and grip the sides of the oiler from the bottom and twist it back and forth and pull it out. Extend the cap first and grip it next to the oil hole. I then run a 1\4" drill bit through the oil hole by hand. This is usually done during the rebuild process when the shaft has been removed. Quite often a large hunk of crud is pushed out, which means the oil passage was totally blocked by years of crud build up. The same oiler can be tapped back into place. If it fits too loose, use a pair of plies to make it slightly oval and it will hold tighter.

Tom Endy
 
crowshill said:
Just wondered if someone had an innovative fix. I've oiled it but the pocket through the head seems to have a ton or rust in it. This is the second one, distributor, to do this. I know I don't run it enough or the heat would dissipate the moisture. No head gasket leak. Figure to take the head off and then clean out as much there and in valve chamber as I can get. Only thing I can think of is to pull distributor every year and use bearing grease but this cannot be the best option.

What am I missing?
Click to expand...

Is it a one part two part shaft? If one part shaft, maybe setting the set screw that holds the distributor in the head a little loose may keep it from having the problem.
 
Thanks for the feedback. The shaft is frozen in the distributor by rust and the passage hole through the head also has a lot of rust in it so I guess it was two part question. I have distributor out but cannot turn the shaft. So I will work through the oiler hole as suggested to try and free the shaft so I can repair and replace shaft. Just can't figure how this has happened twice in 10 years. Will try the anti seize on head passage to see if that helps. After I rebuild the distributor if I can ever get the shaft out of the body casting. Thanks again!!
 
I wouldn't start the engine unless you plan to go for a good drive, and not just down the road a mile or two. Cold starts is what make the condensation create rust in the distributor shaft area. If you have a leaking water pump, it might also be blowing water back and only a few drops in that area can create a lot of rust. I've seen generator cases with deep rust pits caused by a leaking water pump.
 
The bushings in the distributor are bronze so they don't rust. The head gasket does not leak so water/coolant is not causing the rust. The valve galley is full of oil that splashed around with no access to water. THe only place the water can come from is external to the engine, the engine compartment. Do you wash the engine often? Does the car sit for years at a time?
 
A young guy bought his uncles 28 Sport Coupe, and didn't know about oiling the distributor. His locked up and broke the tang off the shaft. That's the only one I know to have locked up. Sure seen many loose worn out shafts though.

I'm wondering what made you realize the distributor was locked up? You never mentioned the drive tang being snapped off, but if the distributor was locked up, and you tried to start the engine, the tang would break off the shaft. Just seems strange that you never mentioned a broken tang.
 
It may have broken the tang on the bottom shaft. Haven't gotten there yet. The bottom of the shaft slots are twisted just a bit and the distributor was up just a bit off the head. I am just hoping that the set screw was maybe not too tight and it spun it up rather than broke it but I am not usually that lucky. That's why I was going into the valve chamber to both clean out and to check for any big pieces parts of rust to try and get it out before it reached a bearing or the pan and got recirculated.

The rust has got to be from condensation just doesn't make sense. Pulled distributor from old spare engine and some rust but still not frozen like this one. And that motor hasn't run in 30 years.
 
For a number of years now the key suppliers have sold a upper shaft drilled so you can oil the upper bushing which until then, didn't have any way to be oiled. The lower bushing has a oil cup so you can oil it. I hone and select fit all my distributor shafts and make sure the bottom oil hole is clean and all the way through. I haven't seen any distributors with frozen shafts for years. Brattons and Snyders all sell the modern upper shaft.
 
Actually when the oil cup is filled each 500 miles (as mentioned in the owner's manual) the upper bearing does get oiled. I restored my distributor back in the mid 90's, and it still has a very snug fitting shaft.

Anymore I thing the shaft with the added oil hole is all you can buy.
 
Use care trying to remove the shaft from the distributor casting.
The bottom of the casting is brittle and will come off with a heavy handed hammer.
Also the base of the casting cracks next to the bushing.
I would pull the driver if you open up the valve chamber.
Bob
 
Mikeinnj said:
First clean the base of the distributor and the hole that it fits into on the cylinder head.

Then put a coating of anti seize compound on the base of the distributor casting and around the inside of the head where the distributor nests.
Click to expand...

Would that cause a poor ground if you use anti seize? It's all a learning experience! :D
 
I have not run into one that acts like your distributor, old ones sitting out in the woods might be hard to get loose from the head but I haven't had shafts rust up in the unit like that. It is almost like water got in the sliding cover some how. Do you have a photo?
 
JOHN CT said:
Would that cause a poor ground if you use anti seize? It's all a learning experience! :D
Click to expand...

thought antisieze had small metal particles in it, i have seen normal grease and clean oil act as an insulator but not sure of the antisieze, i gotta believe its touching somewhere.
 
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