The red arrow is the clamping bolt Mike is referring to.
The yellow arrow is the bolt that holds the clamp to the block.
If you just loosen the red bolt the distributor can be twisted out. It may be pretty tight.
If you remove the yellow bolt the dist should come out easily.
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Mike,
The set screw fits into the hole on the collar which allows the distributor to turn. It is this set screw that must be removed to remove the distributor. Is this correct?
Maddy
Removing the “yellow arrow” bolt will allow the dizzy to be pulled out or rotated. The clamping bolt(the long bolts pictured) only holds the clamp to the dizzy. Even if you remove or loosen that clamping bolt and nut, there is no guarantee that it will release it’s grasp on the dizzy body so I would remove the 7/16" hex bolt(yellow arrow) which secures the dizzy to the block itself.
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Lee and everyone else,
I spotted the 7/16ths bolt today and put a 7/16ths open end wrench on it to loosen it. One thing is that the bolt is tightened hard. I have hardly any horizontal space to turn the hex bolt if it was loose. There I’d absolutely no space for a socket to fit. I surmise there is a special tool that is able to get in there and do the job?
Maddy
A 7/16ths distributor wrench works: I made my own with a gas ax and a welder.
What does a distributor wrench look like?
Like this…
Get the clamping bolt (red arrow) out and spread the clamp with a big screwdriver. Then the dist should twist out.
Rob,
I will work on that later this week. I am searching for the mark on the flywheel for TDC.
What is this mark?
I marked the TDC when Nick visited but the rotor is pointed toward the starter. Where is the number 6 spark plug tower located on the distributor cap?
Maddy
Talking to Nick about the project of shim replacement which has led into a quite lengthy conversation about where the engine is at currently. So if all will recall the valve clearances were measured, recorded, the new shim replacement calculated. Next the shims went in where they needed to go following the chart I made for myself ensuring I kept 1-6 followers and sims to their right places. Then I began to remove the intake cam to replace the shims. I had everything set to TDC compression. Life just gets in the way sometimes and so it pulled me away from the project a few days. Going back to it I picked up where I left off in the process of removing the intake cam. I had not done anything to the exhaust cam at the time. Nick has been a real sport guiding me through this process, he asked me if I had made sure I left the engine at TDC compression. Well I had forgotten if I did after that many days passed. Cpoious notes would have helped here. I stopped what I was doing to see of the TDC was still in place. Because I was removing the intake cam at the time I had all the cam bearings loose and both sprocket bolts out. Intending to install 1 sprocket bolt but forgetting to do so I turned the engine which was by the remote start button. I turned the engine to TDC again. I may have been 180 out at this time but had no positive way to ensure that was the case. (from here on when mentioning turning the engine it is by hand only) I continued with the shim replacement. Now both cams are out and the new shims are all in there respective places. I returned the exhaust cam to its place with the cam alignment tool. The cam sprocket did not align but was close. I moved the serrated plate inside the sprocket to align both bolt holes. Bolts in and now on to the intake side. Again using the cam alignment tool the cam is in place but the sprocket holes did not line up. In fact they were pretty far off! Again with the serrated plate got one hole to line up and put bolt in. Now I turn the engine again to line up the second hole. This does not work so well as the cam sprocket wants to pivot on the bolt that is in place turning upward toward the resting place when the cam sprockets are disconnected from the cams. I struggled with this for a half day. I disconnected the intake cam from the sprocket and its bearings to examine the chain to see why it tightens so much causing the sprocket when 1 bolt is installed to climb like it does. Perhaps I am not TDC on compression like I thought. I removed both cams. Found TDC compression with rotor pointing at #6 on cap. Re-installed the cams and sprockets both with cam alignment tool.
When I turn the crank (always by hand) clockwise (CW) I get tension on the chain on the intake side. The exhaust side is slack maybe 3/8ths to 1/2 inch play. When I turn the crank counter clockwise (CCW) the tension is on the exhaust side and the slack is on the intake side. When the chain gets tight that is when the engine stops turning.
I thought the chain may have too much slack in it. I then thought would a loose chain like that jump a tooth? I looked up timing chain in the manual then on You Tube to see a video on the topic. I really do not think the chain has been stretched during this process so I abandoned that thought.
If the timing is off enough to cause a valve to open slightly on the piston up stroke there could be a hard stop of the turning of the crank. I went back to the engine and checked the tension on the chain. It was loose on one side and tight on the other so I turned the crank in the direction that allowed the chain tension to even out. I looked for the TDC mark and I was not on it. The cams were aligned by the alignment tool so they were right on. I turned the crank to find the TDC but the motion stopped again not allowing me to turn the crank any more.
I examined the chain as I moved the crank back and forth to see what was going on in the abyss. What I saw was when the crank was turned one way the looseness would tighten and deliver that slack to the other side and all this movement is with a small amount of movement of the cams. I loosened all the cam bolts so only a few thread turns of the nut held the bearings in place should the cam be pushed up by the valves. I did this on intake and exhaust. Then I turned the crank to TDC lining up the mark on the flywheel to the one on the block. Then I aligned each cam with the cam alignment tool. I had to go back and forth to get both spot on. Now both cams are in their proper position with TDC compression mark lined up. Now I used the tensioner to tighten the chain so there is about ¼ inch play on both sides. I do not get any movement turning the crank either cw or ccw. This is where I left off.
I truly feel this is a timing chain issue with my novice opinion and Nick thinks a bent valve stem. What does the forum say? Does the head need to come off and get worked on and if so who do I send it to in or near Spokane, Washington or if not Spokane where?
With it all hooked up, properly. a compression check will answer the question.
Pistons contacting valves does not result in a hard stop: you would hardly notice.
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so to jump in to kinda re-state what I believe to be the case. Maddy had the intake cam in place on the head…she says now cam bearing caps loose but still on…I am not sure of this…they may have been fully on, and the intake cam to sprocket bolts were removed…so …in short intake cam in place…not connected to drive chain. Exhaust cam fully in place and connected to drive sprocket… And this is when the engine was turned via the solenoid button…and that may have damaged valves…bent valve stem? I suppose a question could be WHERE were the intake valves at that moment…was one or more in harms way…of the other exhaust valves or piston when the engine spun. We know #6 intake was closed…at TDC…so where would the other intakes be…? would one have been hit by valve or piston and how to know…SUSPICIOUS is that Maddy says that the engine turns fine by hand crank when both cams are out, she turned it without difficulty then to get the distributor drive slot line up per manual spec, but NOW…cams back in…it will only turn a little and then bind to dead stop with both cams in. Maddy, what was the result of your blowing air into spark plug holes…with both cams out…??? (all valves should then be closed) How else might she tell…Can a compression test be done IF already damaged valves or bent stem without further damage.? recall also…the engine was turned with the solenoid while the intake cam was not bolted to the sprocket…how might that have affected the chain etc?
Nick
Key question, and will also determine if any valves are borked.
Using a hose and blowing by mouth into each cylinder I get no air into the spark plug hole. It is a dead stop. When using 90 lbs. compressed air into the spark plug hole through the hose that came with my compression tester compressed the piston downward if not already in that position. When the air was removed it rushed out like a balloon emptying through the spark plug hole.
Thats a VERY good sign!
No sounds of air whooshing out the intake or exhaust?
If not, button it up and double triple quadruple-check timing parameters and see what the compression is.
I cannot see what compression is because the chain doesn’t allow movement. I would have to turn the engine over to get compression would I not?
OK…I’m a bit lost: is the upper chain not allowing you to install the sprockets?
The sprockets are installed. The cams are in correctly. The chain is tight. When turning the crankshaft counter clockwise from the driver position there is no movement.
so Paul…the steps taken…since the engine spin with intake not connected…were to retime the cams…with both cams out…got the #6 to TDC, and at that time made sure that the distributor drive slot was parallel to block, with the thicker offset toward block…so that is the position for #6 to fire (not adjusted yet for static time), then…both cams back on set by the alignment tool. The engine did turn when Maddy set the distributor slot…but cams were off then…now with cams on…and at alignment, should be all good…flywheel at TDC, distrib rotor at #6, but engine turn moves only a little the stops…don’ t know why. (this info remote…from Maddy…I am not there…but could drive up…not too far). She has describe the feel as binding…but then a stop. And has described the chain slack/ and tite. So that is where we are…cautious about forcing an engine turn. (all plugs are out).
Nick
That tells me there’s something wrong.
Paul, if cranking the engine with the starter, I agree. However, it shouldn’t take that much force to turn the engine via the crankshaft damper bolt in either direction. So if turning gently by hand, you don’t think you would feel it binding?
I also think something sounds odd about the way the chain is tightening and slacking.