My distrib is stuck I want to buy a new one and cant get it out the shaft. Been busting my knockles hambering a pribar and still cant get it out. Yes I took the bolt out that is suppose to hold it in place. Flooded it with lube still stuck and cant get it out. I want to take the thing out and put a newer ditrib. in. It is a 272 and has a Load-O-Matic distributor. Has anyone else had this problem.
Does the car run? If so take it for a drive with the bolt removed, it may loosen up the distributor. Make sure you mark the distributor and take the bolt and tools so if it loosens up suddenly and makes the car run bad you can retime it quickly.
Can you spin the distributor housing in it's hole like you're adjusting the timing, or is it jammed right there? If it just won't disengage from the cam shaft have someone put a solid break bar (not a ratchet, takes to long to change direction) on the crankshaft nut and wiggle that mother back and forth as fast as they can while you wiggle the rotor and pull up and down on the housing. This should do it. If you can't wiggle the crankshaft nut, try pulling the spark plugs to do it faster without the compression. I've done this as a last ditch effort before on a 289 'stang... it worked but man was I pissed about it!
My wife, when we first met, had a 65 Mustang (a real POS) with a 289. I rebuilt/replaced everything on that car; I used to tell people it was my cross to bare on this earth. Of course, one of the things replaced was the distributor; I like to NEVER got the old one out. It was "varnished" in place. It took carb cleaner, and a lot of targeted anger with various persuavive implements (plumbers wrench to wrap around the body, prybar to jiggle/lift, and a broad range of well chosen profanity, before it finally literally popped right out. And the rebuilt one slipped right in without any trouble. So, if you have a replacement, then it does'nt matter what you do to get the old one out, but if you have to reuse it, then GOOD LUCK! That car is probably why I have the feelings I do about FORD. I met my wife in 74' and it was'nt until I bought her a new 90' Mustang LX 5.0 that I finally got out from under that car. She would'nt part with that car for anything, until I had her test drive a new one. Butch/56sedandelivery.
Yeah it runs but really bad. The old Load-O-Matic distributor is ran by the carb so I thought my prob was the carb changed intake and carb so it still ran like shit. but take off got nasty like it was going to stall. never could set timeing properly because wouldnt turn. a guy told me it was the peice shit Load-O-Matic but timeing looked good with a lite. I didnt pay it any mind so I am back to that. and should have learned fom the get go I will have to try some your methods already did alot of curseing!!!
This worked for me on a '64 Ford 390 with the same problem. Get the engine hot, then squirt the base of the distributor with a blast from a CO2 fire extinguisher. It was a tad on the messy side, but it got mine loose. Bob
Maybe this is crazy talk, but what about using an engine hoist? It would obviously be a last ditch effort. Might be just the thing to break it loose.
One traditional technique before you get to serious destruction is to use an oil filter wrench on upper body as a twisting tool after removing obstructions like vac can and screws.
Had one years ago, and we welded a ring to the shaft and hooked it to a chain block. The car was hanging almost with the front wheels off the ground and the dizzy was not moving. Finally busted the top off and then drilled all round the base and it finally came loose. Getting the shavings out was the next go around since aluminum is non magenetic. Good luck on that one. Ice man
That's what I had to do with a SBC I had. The distributor had never been out and had varnished into the block. The engine was out of the car and I actually had it and the engine stand lifted off the ground. A number of wacks with a dead blow hammer and I finally got it to pop out. What a PITA for something so simple. Good luck.
sounds like a fire wrench might be needed to expand the metal on the block surrounding the dist. good luck!
I'm not familiar with the 272 engine, but I've had this on a 350 before. If the distributor goes through the intake (or any other engine part) loosen that up and see if that frees up the dizzy. Had a HEI that was stuck on a 350, loosened the intake and the distributor popped right out, the intake and lower shaft hole were not lined up right.
This info is not going to make you happy, but this problem was soooo common (back in the day), Snap-on made a tool specifically to remove 'Y' block distributors. Good luck finding one, but now you know. Cosmo
If it has a shoulder against the block or manifold and you work a prybar under it sometimes you can work it loose.
if you buy one of them areosol computer dust blowers and hold it upside down and spray it, it make shrink enough to crack it loose.
Last time I had to pull a Y-block distributor that was stuck, I managed to get a pipe wrench on the body just above the engine block. Worked it back and forth while I poured Liquid Wrench or WD40 around the base. Finally was able to get a pry bar between the flange and the block and got it popped loose.
Had the same problem on my 54 (239 y) a couple of years ago. It took a can of PB blaster and two days to get the damn thing loose. A good set of pipe pliers (Knipex) and Viola!
BTW, balancer is rubber mounted and tends to spin so timing may be on the mark but that doesn't mean the mark is in the right place. Ask me how I know.
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