Dizzy Stuck, does not rotate with Engine

Wisconsinjimmy

Wisconsinjimmy

Senior Member
:confused:Need some help or advice, turned the engine (by hand) and the dizzy shaft does not turn I removed the set screw and nut to find that I am stuck hard, now before I go to extreme measures what could the problem be with the no rotation of the dizzy.
 
Sheared cam gear, roken cam, stripped gears for the oilpump/dist drive all can be suspected. Rod
 
Don't pry on the distributor or it will snap off at the base, and it takes very little to snap it. Soak it with Kroil, remove the lock nut and screw, and spray Kroil in the hole. Let it soak for a few days, then used the distributor removal tool to lift it out of the hole. Are there other things to work on while it's soaking?
 
Alot can be seen, by taking off the valve cover. No need to strip it down at this point. Forgot about the distributor drive shaft itself.

Here is where I would start in determing the problem. Remove the #4 spark plug, turn the engine over with a hand crank and see if the valves are opeing and closing. Likely thjis will take 2 people.

If the valves are not opening and closing check the timing gear to see if it is turning. Do this by removing the timing pin and incerting it like you are trying to find the detent for TDC. You should be able to feel it dragging on the cam gear if it is turning.

If the valves are opening and closing, pull the valve cover and see if the distributor shaft is turning. If it is then the bottom of the upper distributor shaft is sheared. If not then it is the distributor drive gear teeth at are sheared.

I am with Carl that it is likely the timing gear teeth that are sheared, but you will only know when you check things out. Changing the timing gear is not a big deal. Rod
 
I have a lot of projects to keep me busy and I for sure need to clean up the wood shop and get to making items for the 2014 craft season. One other thing is who does Babbitt work North of Minneapolis / St Paul Minnesota?
 
Wisconsinjimmy said:
I have a lot of projects to keep me busy and I for sure need to clean up the wood shop and get to making items for the 2014 craft season. One other thing is who does Babbitt work North of Minneapolis / St Paul Minnesota?
Click to expand...

I don't know of anyone in MN doing babbit work.
 
Easy way to check cam gear is pull the side cover off the front cover. Turn engine over and see if all the teeth are there. Its probably missing a couple.
 
Just hold your timing pin in as if you were timing it and turn the engine over with the crank. That will tell you if the timing gear is moving or sheared.
 
Distributor is the operative word..... Dizzy is something you are when you're drunk or can't see straight!

Larry
 
Hi Jim,

My Sport Coupe would not start when getting the car out of storage a couple of years ago.

It took me a few attempts to notice the distributor was not rotating, "after the 3rd time checking I thought it was very odd, that the rotor cap stopped in exactly the same position each time". :confused:

Turned out the distributor was seized.

My engine would turn over freely and easily. The seized distributor caused the turning engine and camshaft to break off a few teeth on the distributor drive which in turn stripped the drive gear on the cam shaft. :mad::eek:

The timing gear suffered no damage whatsoever.

My list of parts to do this repair was extensive, luckily I have a great friend and together we had enough "stuff" and got it running in a couple of evenings. :)

I hope your issue can be resolved more easily, "with less parts", than mine.
 
Pictou County T & A said:
Hi Jim,

My Sport Coupe would not start when getting the car out of storage a couple of years ago.

It took me a few attempts to notice the distributor was not rotating, "after the 3rd time checking I thought it was very odd, that the rotor cap stopped in exactly the same position each time". :confused:

Turned out the distributor was seized.

My engine would turn over freely and easily. The seized distributor caused the turning engine and camshaft to break off a few teeth on the distributor drive which in turn stripped the drive gear on the cam shaft. :mad::eek:

The timing gear suffered no damage whatsoever.

My list of parts to do this repair was extensive, luckily I have a great friend and together we had enough "stuff" and got it running in a couple of evenings. :)

I hope your issue can be resolved more easily, "with less parts", than mine.
Click to expand...

I just came in from the shop and here is what I did, heated the timing pin to get it out of the cover, once out I put it on the wire wheel to clean the threads and the shaft. cut to the chase I believe the timing gear is turning as I have marked it with a pencil in several areas and they do disappear on rotation but the weird part is I cannot find the hole for the pin to go in also while holding the pin against the timing gear I can feel the gear move.
Where would you heat the Distributer to help free it as it is rather tight to the head and I have a heater manifold with no box also has hole for hold down screw access.
I was looking for a large hole and what I need is just a dimple on the gear, back to the shop
 
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