Emergency ignition wire

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buddyholley19

Member
I hope this isn't a dumb question. Do you have to remove the distributor from the engine to install an emergency ignition wire ?
 

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You pull the distributor as you would any other time. Loosen the set screw on the side, remove the clamp from the head, (and rapidly put it the nut back on to prevent water lose into the engine). Lift the dist. up, twist off the dist from the cable and screw the new part on.
 
Mike V. Florida said:
You pull the distributor as you would any other time. Loosen the set screw on the side, remove the clamp from the head, (and rapidly put it the nut back on to prevent water lose into the engine). Lift the dist. up, twist off the dist from the cable and screw the new part on.
Click to expand...

Thanks SO MUCH for your insite
 
Mike V. Florida said:
You pull the distributor as you would any other time. Loosen the set screw on the side, remove the clamp from the head, (and rapidly put it the nut back on to prevent water lose into the engine). Lift the dist. up, twist off the dist from the cable and screw the new part on.
Click to expand...

Mike: I'm confused... I can remove my cable without lifting out the distributor.:confused:
 
My armored cable can only spin a few times then the wire inside gets twisted up so instead of messing with distributor, I remove the wire from behind the instrument panel. I'd rather unscrew those 4 screws than mess with the distributor.
 
If you have the original pop-out cable as Henry ordered, you will have to remove the distributor from the head in order to untwist it from the armored cable. In addition if you have the cable bolted down to the #8 stud, you will also have to remove the nut from the stud. Breaking the torque on the #8 stud is not a good idea as the head will likely take a warp and dump water into the oil pan. The armored cable and the head bolt clamp were part of Henry's anti-theft arrangement.

On my Vic I do not bolt the armored cable down so that I can swap out a distributor without breaking the head torque. Every time I change oil I remove the distributor and clamp it in a vice for a proper clean up and a re-setting of the points. This action also prevents the distributor from ever rusting in place. You do not have to reset the timing, just drop the distributor back in place as long as you do not unbolt the point cam.

If you have any one of the various reproduction cables installed you can possibly remove the cable by winding it up without removing the distributor.

Tom Endy
 
What Mike was referring to is that if you take the #8 head nut off to free up the ignition cable clamp, put the nut back on right away to prevent water from going where it is not suppose to go in the engine.

You could also drain the coolant down past that level (about 1.5 ga) and you won't have that problem with water, but the head still needs even pressure.

I don't use the clamp for that and several other reasons.
 
Mike's comment was terse but correct.

One should always rapidly replace and tighten the cylinder head nut onto the stud formerly occupied by the ignition cable clamp to prevent coolant loss into the cylinders.
 
i always drain down the coolant before loosening the nut for the clamp... i tried doing one very quickly and it still went into the oil...beware...

as far as Mikes advice i dont see any issues it was straight forward info.. whatever
 
Mike is NOT a smart ***!!! His posts are very helpful and he is very patient with authentic smart asses. Think before you post. There is a very good reason to do just as Mike said. Disregard his advise on this and you will know exactly what he tried to spare you.
 
Mike's advise is just and will prevent a $3500 mistake.

I learned 50 years ago to drain coolant first ...
 
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