I have a 3 1/2 year old (new) distributor with an modern points and condenser upgrade. In an effort to adjust the timing the distributor cam is frozen in place. I am afraid if I place too much pressure on the cam because I will damage something. Does anyone have an idea on why the cam froze to the shaft and how I can loosen the cam without damaging anything.
distributor cam frozen to distrubutor shaft
- Thread starter scmsr
- Start date
modela@aol.com
Well-known member
Different vendors make the different shafts, cams, etc. so it just maybe one of the items was made out of factory spec tolerance.
Try your wife's hair dryer blowing (maybe safer then a propane torch) on it to heat up the cam area only and carefully pry up on the cam from all of the different sides with a screwdriver.
Before you put in back on again either try another cam for fit or polish the shaft with some very fine sandpaper. The cam has to have free movement on the shaft to allow for it's adjustment.
Try your wife's hair dryer blowing (maybe safer then a propane torch) on it to heat up the cam area only and carefully pry up on the cam from all of the different sides with a screwdriver.
Before you put in back on again either try another cam for fit or polish the shaft with some very fine sandpaper. The cam has to have free movement on the shaft to allow for it's adjustment.
1931 flamingo
Well-known member
Try mixing some acetone and auto trans fluid together (50/50) and applying it to the top of the cam, do this repeatedly for a day or so or until you can remove/rotate the cam.
Paul in CT
Paul in CT
Glen in Hillman MI
Senior Member
N0t ment to be a smart a-- but I see that you are newbe to the forum.
Did you loosen the screw on the top of shaft.
Glen
Did you loosen the screw on the top of shaft.
Glen
Tom Wesenberg
Well-known member
I had a tight one like that also. I'd try a straight wrench, rather than the offset wrench, to try to get the cam to turn. If that doesn't work, then I'd try Kroil, or heat.
Bruce Lancaster
Member Emeritus
We aren't talking big bucks here, so stakes are not high. Try some things...
To start with, at Bratton's, shaft sleeve and pin at bottom are only $1.50. If yours are newish, you won't even damage anything because you can push out a roll pin and remove the sleeve with zero problem, at very worst you'd need to grind head off of an original pin (roll pin replacement a crushing 25 cents!) or possibly even grind a gap in a frozen sleeve and go for the whole $1.50.
Now you can check the bottom of shaft for any burrs that would damage bushings and push the whole shaft out. Now you can rest the bottom of cam against vise jaws and gently tap downward on center of shaft...I think, I'm at work and have no actual distributor parts to look at!
At very worst shaft and cam too are a hair over $20.00 if nothing you touch is salvagable, at best you have a roll pin and can R&R everything with no casualties.
And replace bushings if they are at all dubious.
To start with, at Bratton's, shaft sleeve and pin at bottom are only $1.50. If yours are newish, you won't even damage anything because you can push out a roll pin and remove the sleeve with zero problem, at very worst you'd need to grind head off of an original pin (roll pin replacement a crushing 25 cents!) or possibly even grind a gap in a frozen sleeve and go for the whole $1.50.
Now you can check the bottom of shaft for any burrs that would damage bushings and push the whole shaft out. Now you can rest the bottom of cam against vise jaws and gently tap downward on center of shaft...I think, I'm at work and have no actual distributor parts to look at!
At very worst shaft and cam too are a hair over $20.00 if nothing you touch is salvagable, at best you have a roll pin and can R&R everything with no casualties.
And replace bushings if they are at all dubious.
A good labor day activity is messing with a model a. I did get the distributor cam off by slowly rotating it with a flat cam wrench and using a screw driver at the same time to slowly lift it off the shaft. It was extreamly tight on the shaft. The new cam fit very nicely, tight but easily move with my fingers. Set the timing with my New NU-REX wrench, warmed up engine, adjusted air/fuel mix on carb and now it drives fantastically. Thanks for everyones advice