any thoughts on loosening the distributer from the block on my 53 lincoln ? we need to advance the timing 3 degrees but the distributer will not move . and its so tight to the fire wall that we can't get at the shaft where it mounts . i don't want to bust it tapping on it . i'm thinking of removing the intake to get access to the bottom of it .
Is that a Y block in the Lincoln? Lots of penetrating oil and some heat may help. Also if you can find a can of spray freeze that the electronics guys use to find faults in electrical components. Spray it on the bottom of the distributor to shrink it. Dry ice may work also.
3° isn't really gonna do that much in the grand scheme of things But I would try some type of penetrating oil. Let it sit.
Try turning it with an oil filter strap wrench. Kroil and PB Blaster are both effective penetrating oils and work better AFTER you get the engine up to temp.
Try it when it’s hot after it’s being running. Really, really stupid question but if you can’t get to the shaft have you undone the clamp?
Never saw that on a Y block but it was quite common on the FE blocks. I've got a fork that Snap-On sold to go under the main distributor body and attach to a slide hammer. On the FE's, if you could get the distributor to come out just a little and spray some penetrant on it, then push it back down, you could eventually get them out.
Sitting unused Y’s have the same problem. Go to Yblocksforever.com website and do a search or post a new thread. It was a Lincoln problem too. Here on the HAMB under Social Groups > Brands > 52-59 Fords it also been discussed. Not saying you need to but it’s way easier with the intake off or at least the carb.
thanks for the help . yes , we loosened the clamp bolt and ive been soaking with kroil . i'll try getting it up to running temp and spray it again with kroil . and mabe tap it gently . i'm told these are early y blocks . i'm not that familiar with ford stuff . and maybe the the thing should just run for a while like this with a loosened distributer cap clamp and with any luck when it lets go it won't get too far out of time . boy i like front mount distributers lol.
i've been thinking of pulling the motor and buttoning up a lot of oil leaks etc , and loosening up dist. but pulling the intake makes way more sense .
Common enough problem with both the Lincoln and the Ford Yblock. IIRC, it’s one of the few items that interchange between the 2. (Something about a gear change and oil pump drive also IIRC). But you really don’t want to break it. Give it time, careful heat, a hard hit or twist will break it. I’d pull the intake and the hood before I got aggravated and broke it. It’ll be easier in the long run.
Ford never thought about oil getting to the distributor drive shaft . We put a little goose neck on the shaft housing on our 292 so we can at least get some oil in there, still a bitch to get oil at. Our shaft seized and spun the distributor gear , luckily.
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