Stuck Distributor

Bob/Pa

Bob/Pa

Senior Member
Have a 289 engine with a stuck distributor. Probly rust, but won't budge. Any suggestion?
 
never saw a stuck one on a 289.are you trying to set timing or remove it.just spray some stuff around it and keep working at it and it will let go.
 
Hate to say it but the distributor will probably have to be replaced.

Lube it up for a few days and if it wont budge a big set of vice grips and a piece of pipe for leverage worked for me.

Oldmics
 
Oldmics said:
Hate to say it but the distributor will probably have to be replaced.

Lube it up for a few days and if it wont budge a big set of vice grips and a piece of pipe for leverage worked for me.

Oldmics
Click to expand...
And when you put in the new one clean the hole real well and put a generous coating of anti-seize on the o-ring.
 
I know a lot of guys say not to tap on the dist vacuum advance pot, the info about soaking the bottom of the dist with penetrating oil is sound advice, but if your going to have to destroy the dist to get it out why not use a rubber hammer to help get it out, what do you have to loose? I don't mean beat on the dist, just tap it one way and then the other while keeping the bottom of the dist sprayed with a lot of the oil, penetrating oil does no good unless it can get to where its needed, just moving the dist just a small amount allows the oil to flow in the gap created by moving the dist and loosing it, it takes patience and time, go slow and don't get real rough with the hammer
 
well, if your going to replace it get a big pipe wrench and put on the dist any where you can, a 24" wrench works good, use a cheater bar with the wrench and twist the dist both ways, you may have to get a long pry bar under the dist some where to help pry it up as you twist the dist
 
When the dist is coming out, check that the oil pump shaft comes out with it. It CAN fall into the engine. Ask me how I know!
 
the shaft should not come out with it.they can fall into the base if the clip is not on the shaft which prevents this.
 
Last one stuck for me was a 400, the aluminum had corroded a bunch around the O ring and lodged it tight in the block. About a week of penetrating oil and one of those belt grip wrench's was able to break it free. 351W before that was not so lucky, broke it trying to use hammer taps and it ended up having to drive it out of the block from the bottom, wasn't pretty.
 
I have had a couple of 289s with frozen distributors. One finally worked loose with lube and trying to turn it back and forth. The other one broke on me. Both were from corroded aluminum stuck to the block. Be careful with trying to turn the aluminum case as it will break and you may have to fish out bits of metal in the engine.
Just be thankful it is a Ford with the distributor on the front where you can get to it.
 
Great suggestions, will keep on trying. Interesting, I thought mine was a unique problem. Thanks
 
I had the same problem on a 312 engine. I don't know if the distributors look anything alike, but the 312 has a "boss" for one of the vac tubes on the housing coming out of the intake manifold. I was able to make a "wrench" using a strong iron bar with a hook welded onto it, so that it grabbed the "boss". The bar was about 30" long, so there was plenty of torque. An old time mechanic told me I would probably break the housing and then have to deal with the remains.
I soaked it for several days and then gingerly applied some torque. After a while, it broke loose just a bit and then it was just moving it back and forth until it was loose enough to pull out. It still didn't come out easy. I had to apply some lift from a pry bar.
When it came out, there was a varnish completely around the housing for its full length. The penetrant had not gone into the mating surface at all. Also, there was no o-ring on the distributor.
 
You could pull the intake manifold, and maybe try something from below, including a good soaking. I have also heard of an old indian trick of heating the distributor/block area with a propane torch, and then holding a candle around the base. The wax will supposedly weep into the space, and loosen the seizure. I have never tried it. But unless the distributor is something special, they are readily available. Y-blocks are another animal, almost all of them seize in, never to be removed in one piece again. They originally had no gasket or o-ring.
 
Royal Ryser,
On the Ford Y blocks up thru '57, there should be NO "O" ring on the distributor to block joint. I have read using one can cause you to crack the housing. Later in '58 they started using a gasket as a seal on 332, 352 and 430. Heck no, I didn't remember the later stuff, I looked in the parts illustration book!!

Milt K from Pa
 
I had a 56 ford 292 engine and it had the o ring, had to remove it because it wouldn't turn so I could adjust timing, took a pipe wrench and a pry bar to get it out after I got it to turn
 
I'll guess the dissimilar metals (alum & cast iron) helped promote the corrosion too. It sounds like a good place for some anti-seize compound when putting it back together.



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It's usually varnish-like deposits holding the distributor in. Penetrating oil doesn't cut this varnish. Use carb. cleaner spray instead.
 
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