Technical SBC Distributor Stuck in Block

I've never seen anything like this after having rebuilt several small block Chevys. A friend is tearing an engine apart to using his 40 Ford and the distributor is stuck so tight that it won't come up out of the block and through the intake manifold. It would be nice to save the points distributor but no matter what the distributor eventually has to come out to do a rebuild. It's been soaked with Kroil penetrating oil and beat on and pryed on from the underside of the distributor body but won't budge. Oil pan is now off the engine and oil pump has been removed. Thinking of beating on it from the bottom trying to drive it up out of the block in the intake.

The engine is been in a dry building in storage for a number of years but here in Missouri we have rapid temperature and humidity changes that has caused a fair amount of corrosion that has been seen as the valve covers and heads have been removed as well as being able to see into the lifter valley.

Any suggestions from your past, perhaps a similar situation? Thanks, in advance!

Lynn

 

not often that heads are pulled prior to intake!

 

Try removing the timing chain so the cam is free to turn

 

Fords do that frequently, but never a Chevy in dry Arizona.

I like the idea of driving it up from the bottom. The gear is strong, the distributor housing is pretty strong down there, so that should get you a lot more motive force than prying from the top would.

 

Heat the shaft, it might travel enough to get it unstuck.

 

Might try loosening the intake manifold. Sometimes the difference between the dist. hole in the manifold and block can pinch the dist. and cause it to stick tight, especially when things get crusty.

 

Can you turn distributor?
Try loosening intake ,& or Drive it up from bottom , push up on gear to take slack / airgap out before striking ,
Use Wood ,better choice .
With Oil pump removed .
If block out , also remove cam rear plug,
Walk cam forward towards front of block or remove .

 

The first SBC I ever worked on (nearly 60 years ago) had the same issue. The 'old school" fix at the time was to chill the distributor by blasting it with a fire extinguisher. I don't know if that works or not. I finally broke mine off and got it out with a slide hammer. No fun!

.bjb

 

So, with the heads removed, the intake manifold is just sitting on the china walls? Have you tried to twist the manifold side to side?
Never had the heads off a small block with the intake still on it! But I would think you could twist the intake around to break the distributor loose.

 

Yeah, that is what I also thought he said...which makes no sense; should be able to lift the intake with the distributor and the deal with it that way- unless the cam gear and distributor are so rusted together they wont move, which in that case would question the sense in using this engine.

 

As far as questioning the removal of heads before the intake I agree that's very unusual. In this case it was purposely done in order to be able to wiggle/twist the intake to try to free the distributor and based on the rust and corrosion we saw under the valve covers and in the lifter valley we were anxious to see what the cylinders looked like for a potential rebuild. The cylinders and piston tops look much better than what we had seen up to that point inside the engine, so that was a relief. But, needless to say wiggling the intake up to this point has not worked to free the distributor.

My suspicion is that it's seized up in the areas above and below where the distributor provides a path for a crossover oil galley.

It sounds like the best and maybe last option would be to drive it up from the bottom. Certainly more shock force could be applied directly in line with the distributor.

Thanks for the thoughts and suggestions. I'll follow up if we make any progress on it.

Lynn

 

Take some pictures I would like to see what’s going on with it.

 

You must use a CO2 extinguisher for this. Dry Chemical is messy and is not cold enough.
Another idea is dry ice.... basically the same thing.

 

Is the engine out of the car?
The heads are off, correct?

Do you have access to a palm sander?

Soak contact areas with your breaker lube of choice.
Take the electric palm sander, pad and tape, strap, zip-tie it to the distributor. Turn it on and let it vibrate for.......hours.

 

Maybe you have tried this, but is it possible to remove the intake and the distributor as an assembly so you can work on a bench?

 

I had one do that on a 1980 Oldsmobile 350.

 

the distributor would be stuck in the block. The hole in the intake is larger than it needs to be, to allow for intake misalignment.

 

"Oil pan is now off the engine and oil pump has been removed. Thinking of beating on it from the bottom trying to drive it up out of the block in the intake."
Yes, give that a try. Get a long brass punch or rod that's the diameter of the oil pump shaft, drive it up from the bottom. Worked for me on an engine that had seized up due to rust.

 

I had to use a chain vise grip around the head of the distributer to get it to turn and work it out. Ruined the distributer and it turned out, the block was junk. (rings rusted badly to the bore)

Gary

 

I forgot about that bit.

 

I know a lot of stuff here is done by the members and manually if modern stuff isn't available.
I also know this is a questionable block until it's fully torn down and inspected.
However if the usual soak, tap and other stuff like the palm sander (good one!) don't break it loose, AND it's going to a machine shop for hot tanking, I'd be temped to take the block, cam, dist and intake down and have them soak the whole bundle, provide it's okay on the aluminum housing and bearings. Not to pass the buck, but because that should get everything hot and soaking, increasing chance for success.
You didn't mention if it turns (cam and crank). If so, maybe even the cam can come out.

 

Cast Iron or Aluminum distributor?

 

Engine doesn't turn over. Pistons have been soaking for over a day. Timing chain is off and haven't been able to get the cam to budge, either by turning or by end play.

Since the heads are out of the way we have been able to get penetrating oil to the area of the block where the distributor passes through. I guess we'll see what happens tomorrow.

Lynn

 

Aluminum distributor.

I'm thinking ahead that if we get this distributor out the next big challenge might be getting the lifters out.

I feel sorry for my friend this is the third engine he's torn apart to hopefully rebuild. The first two had such bad pitting in the cylinders you wouldn't have had cylinders walls left by the time you bored out enough to make the pitting disappear

Lynn

 

Hunk of chain and a slide hammer would fix the issue...maybe

 

I do not mean to be a buzz killer, but maybe rethink using this stuff, seems you would save some grief and money starting with a core that is less "seasoned". Or is this particular engine rare, or have some sentimental meaning?

 

Use the intake as a lever. Get the forward end up some and get something under the back end and push down?
Wedges under the manifold in back at the gasket?
Heat the part you can get to under the manifold?
Big pipe wrench and twist it back and forth?
When aluminum corrodes in iron it is forever in my experience.
I hope you can get it out

 

heh...yeah, sounds like finding something more better to work on might be a reasonable plan. At least ya'all are getting plenty of exercise.

 

Years ago in the days of non-detergent oil this was not uncommon. So much caked-on oil that the distributor was stuck. Hell getting it out. I can remember taking apart on old 265 that had no oil filter and the entire lifter valley was filled up solid with caked up oil burnt to a crisp. Only way to get them out was to keep pouring solvent down and trying to soften the grip and use a chain fall to pull up on the distributor.

Always iffy with an aluminum distibutor but if it broke you could at least get the manifold off.

 

Attempting to turn with a LARGE pipe wrench on the distributor, perhaps while someone is driving it upward from below. I've had to do that on Y-blocks back in the day...