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Conference napalm::musclecars

Title:Musclecars
Notice:Noter Registration - Note 5
Moderator:KDX200::COOPER
Created:Mon Mar 11 1991
Last Modified:Tue Jun 03 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:182
Total number of notes:5467

142.0. "SB Chevy distributor probs...." by COMET::BUSSARD (You Crack Me Up!) Tue Aug 16 1994 20:13

    
    
    The 283 is coming along fine,  and I'm  in the process of
    going through the distibutor.  But,  I pulled the drive gear,
    and now the shaft is binding on its way out of the distributor body.
    I've got it halfway out,  and it's stuck in there pretty d*mn 
    good.  Of course,  I can try the penetrating oil gig,  but did
    I miss something?  Or,  did 156,000 miles gum up the interior of
    the dist.  body?
    
    Ideas?
    
    Rob
    **Rebuilding a '64 SS Impala, + .040,  rv cam,  hardened valves/seats,
    etc............
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
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142.1gummed up shaftWFOV12::SCHRAFTPeter C. Schraft 242-2235Tue Aug 16 1994 21:113
    	Its all the gunk built up on the distributer shaft that won't let
    it slide thru the bushings. Squirt some carb cleaner into the oil holes
    on the side of the housing. That should desolve the gunk.
142.2HELP!!!CXCAD::C_WILLIAMSHammerThu Sep 15 1994 12:0129
    
    
    	I have a GM HEI distributor in my recently-purchased '71 Chevy
    	pickup.  Having never delt with an HEI before, I took some time
    	a couple of weeks ago and tuned the engine up.  When I took the
    	distributor cap off, the entire inside of the distributor was
    	coated with a fine red/brown residue; a powdery substance.
    
    	What is this stuff?  Could it be a bronze/copper oxide from the
    	worn bronze/copper gizmos?  8-)
    
    	Also, after about a week and a half of running, the engine started
    	sounding like it had a small vacuum leak.  I couldn't find the
    	leak.  Two days later it sounded like a MAJOR vacuum leak.  I have
    	checked everything related to a vacuum leak and have found nothing.
    	I have replaced my spark plugs and checked my wires.  All is fine.
    	(The old plugs -- being only two weeks old -- look pretty bad.
    	The one and two cylinder plugs were burnt on only one side/one
    	half of the plug.  Number eight looked as if it had never fired.
    	Most of the others were pretty fouled.)
    
    	I chose to pass the problem on to a highly-recommended mechanic.
    	He has also concluded it's not a vacuum leak.  I was wondering if
    	perhaps it's something to do with the distributor?  Could something
    	need fixing/changing in it?  I don't understand (yet) the HEI's.
    	The mechanic is starting to believe it's a flat cam lobe.  That
    	basically sucks.
    
    	Any suggestions? 
142.3CSLALL::NASEAM::READIOA Smith & Wesson beats four aces, Tow trucks beat Chapman LocksThu Sep 15 1994 14:455
>    
>    	What is this stuff?  Could it be a bronze/copper oxide from the
>    	worn bronze/copper gizmos?  8-)
 
Rust residue from the mechanical advance counterweight assembly
142.4CXCAD::C_WILLIAMSHammerThu Sep 15 1994 18:293
    
    
    But it has a vacuum advance hooked up on it.
142.5SSDEVO::SHUEYThu Sep 15 1994 19:392
    
    The mechanical advance mechanism is under the rotor.  
142.6May be internal arcingMSDOA::SCHMIDTFri Sep 16 1994 11:2511
    Folks,
    
     This is all second hand but may be worth a look.. A friend of mine is
    a major motor head and belives that what you are seeing is the symptoms
    of internal arcing on the HEI. You may want to try a new cap and rotor. 
    We had discussed this 2 years ago when I was thinking about changing
    the '73 400 small block I had to HEI. He had mentioned that as a sign
    of poor operation in HEI's. I don't remember if there were any other 
    components ( like the ignition module ) involved.
               
    Chuck
142.7CXCAD::C_WILLIAMSHammerMon Sep 19 1994 13:4911
    
    
    	This problem occured about a week after I changed the cap and
    	rotor.
    
    	My problem turned out to be a broken valve spring.  As I said,
    	I bought the truck a while back.  The person who built the engine
    	did a really bad job with the heads.  I was just about to take
    	the valve covers off and adjust the valves when I opted to give
    	the truck over to this mechanic.  Glad I did -- it's turned into
    	a little nightmare!