Hello! Todays project was to pull out the old distributor from my '52 Plymouth's 218 and drop in an electronic one from Langdon's. Bolt-in operation...what could be easier, right? I read the factory manual, and there were not specific directions to removing the distributor, so I figured that it's like most other distributors I've ever dealt with...undo the bolt to the hold down tab and lift it out. So...I unfastened the bolt from the hold-down tab and tried to lift the distributor our. No go. Tried to gently twist it. No go. Tried to not so gently twist it. No go. Climbed in the engine compartment, grabbed onto the distributor body with both hands and twisted till my face turned purple, blood vessels popped out in my forehead, and I saw stars. Nothing. Got under the car and used a piece of 1/2" rod stock to tap against the distributor body with a 4lb sledge. Firmly. It moved. Maybe 1/8". Hit it with some PB Blaster. Tapped again, more firmly. It moved a little more. Continue for the last hour. Back and forth. I can get maybe 90 degrees of movement out of the distributor, but I still have to tap it firmly with the hammer and stock to get it to move. My hands are shaking. I have PB Blaster in my hair. My forearms look like Popeye from swinging the damn sledge under the car. Everything hurts. This car was last registered in '91, and it's been in storage ever since, judging from the huge mouse nests I pulled from underneath the headliner and the heater control box, so it's possible there's just a buildup of sludge and rust Am I doing something wrong if is this just a REALLY STUCK distributor? Chris
Wow...nothin' goes easy anymore! We're talking flathead 6 cyl., right? I'm guessing just REALLY STUCK. Last time I pulled one was 1977, in a 1951 Plymouth Business Coupe that I put a rebuilt engine in. The end of the shaft has tip on it like a regular screwdriver that fits into a "slot". It will go in "right" or 180 degrees "wrong". SHOULD just pull right out. Hope you got it out by now...
The distributor body must have rusted in the block. All that holds them in place is the single bolt into the block. Remove the bolt and the distributor should just lift out.
I have used a crowbar a couple of times on something that old that seams like it was never removed...proceed!
Not sure on that motor, is there a screw into the "bump out" on the block where the dist. goes? Some may use such into a groove on the shank to prevent accidental removal .
POP goes the distributor. It was just REALLY, REALLY stuck in there. After posting, I got some lunch and went back at it. More tapping and rotating. Then lower the car on the lift, grab the damn thing with both hands and twist like a MF'er. Slowly, it turned, back again, other way, back again, all the while pulling. Then it came out. Thanks... Chris
I had this issue on an old car once. I could not turn it by hand at all when I first removed the clamp & bolt. I tied a 2lb slide hammer to the distributor body with about 10 wraps of bailing wire. Then I just jerked it out the top with several serious slams. This was after soaking all night in JB-80.
They are supposed to come right out, they were made easily removable so you could replace points and condenser on the bench. One bolt holds the hold down bracket to the block, pull the whole works out and you don't even lose the timing adjustment. However, things grow together over the years. If it hasn't been out for 50 years or more there could be quite a buildup of sludge on the bottom. If you can get it moving and get some penetrating oil in to dissolve the sludge, it should come out.
Glad you got it out. That's crazy, not much holding them in there. I'm sure you know by now, that Langdon's hei is the greatest thing you can do for that 6er. I love mine!
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