Tom Wesenberg
Well-known member
I made these tools yesterday to help make removing and installing distributor bushings easier. I used to just take an old dist. shaft and turn the collar down enough to fit through the 9/16" bore of the housing and drive out both bushings at once. The problem with this method is you are often trying to push the top bushing down through old dried grease, oil, dirt and rust, and this can get hard to do.
I used a 1/2" shaft 10" long and slit one end 2 3/8" deep and drilled a 1/8" hole at the end of the slit. I turned the slit end slightly concave, so it will have a sharp edge to grab the top end of the bottom bushing. Then I spread the slit so the outside diameter of the end is 9/16". I also drilled a hole on the other end, for the brass pin to go through to use as a pull handle. I tapered the pull end of the tool so it won't swell larger than 1/2" when hammering on it. I pull the tool up from the bottom of the housing, until it gets past the bottom bushing and spreads to 9/16". I then set the distributor into the block and hammer out the bottom bushing.
I then slip the brass collar over the top of the housing and set it into the shallow side of the block and drive out the top bushing. The collar is 1" brass with a 9/16" hole drilled clear through. I then counterbored two steps so it would slip over the top of the center of the housing and support on the lip for the spring, plus on the lip for the top plate.
The block is made from 3 pieces of 3/4" plywood and a piece of 1/2" aluminum, plus a 1/8" thick steel flat washer. I clamped the 4 pieces together, then drilled five 1/8" holes, one for the center hole and 4 for the screws. I then cut a 1" hole in the center of the wood blocks, and a 9/16" hole in the aluminum block. The steel washer already had a hole exactly 9/16". I cut a recess a bit under 1/8" deep in one wood block to make a pocket for the steel washer. The steel washer may be overkill, but it will not deform like using the aluminum plate only for a support. The other reason I used a 1/8" thick washer is to get the upper part of the distributor body above the wood block. You want to support the body by the bottom of the part that slips into the head ONLY.
After the bottom bushing is out I then use my old shaft with the turned collar to drive out the top bushing. This will save some wear on the split tool, as it is made from ordinary steel, not tool steel. If I wear this out I may have to braze hard points on the split end, or make a new tool from harder steel.
If I was to make the split shaft again, I would cut the slit 4" long, so it would have more spring.
The 9/16" hole in the brass collar can also be used as an outer support when driving in new bushings, so they don't mush outward or open the split in the bushing.
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