pullin distributor off......is it bad?

[AzNCmB]

i did a search and couldnt find anything related to it.....well one day i was increasing the timing on my ka24de and as i was tighting the top distributor bolt it has BROKE OFF and i dont know why because i was not torqing it hard. So I used the bottom bolt to keep thewhole distributor tight.

well i found another bolt off of a fastback 240sx and today i had loosen the lower bottom distributor bolt to where i pulled the distributor out and moved it over a little bit so that i coulld take out he broken bolt. Luckly when the bolt broke it left a little piece that was exposed and it wuz not tight at all; it was so loose that i unscrewed it with my hands.


But anyway, I was wonderinf if it was a bad thing that I pulled the distributor off and would it harm anything?

If it is a bad thing.......How would it be fixed?


Thanks to all who read..........
please any reply would be truly appreciated

[twitchy]

as long as it runs fine I wouldnt worry about it. Next time you take it off spray some wd40 all over the back of it and inside to reduce any moisture related problems down the road

[AzNCmB]

thanks for the info. twicthy.

[Jeff240sx]

It's not a good thing to touch, move, or remove the distributor, unless you are 100% sure that the gear hasn't moved. If it has, you've messed up your timing.
-Jeff

[transient]

most likely you're going to need to retime it with a timing light. They're pretty cheap. You can get them for 30 dollars or so at autozone, or 60 dollars for one that will calculate timing advance/retard for you.

[twitchy]

i take mine off no probs every so often to lubricate things, and wd40. I dont like rust and moisture since they cause problems

I havent had any problems, although i can see how you might. Get a haynes manual from the store or your library for instructions or just leave it, youll be ok either way

[transient]

Every time you take off your distributor you run the risk of throwing your engine out of time. It's entirely possible to take it out and put it back in without changing the timing, but to do so, you have to make sure that the gear hasn't moved a single bit, and that you put it back in exactly the same position it was in. In other words, it's really just better that you leave it alone, and check it with a timing light if you do need to take it out.

[Jeff240sx]

Originally posted by twitchy
i take mine off no probs every so often to lubricate things, and wd40. I dont like rust and moisture since they cause problems

... And I think you're an idiot. You don't remove the entire distributor to lubricate it. If you are talking about removing the cap, that's also risky and useless. Removing the entire distributor from the head is just a terrible idea.
Also, lubricating with WD-40 is another reason I think you're an idiot. WD-40 promotes rust. It also evaporates very quickly. It is a decent temporary way to loosen a rusty thing (like a lock), but worthless to long term lubrication. And bad for the item you hosed down. WD-40 is an old formula, and is outdated by P'Blaster and real lubricants. If you lubricate anything, and don't use a proper grease or a real lubricant.. you're hurting yourself.
You seem to post all sorts of mis-information on this board, and I ask you to stop. Personally, I'd feel terrible if I told someone to do something that could result in catastrophic engine damage. You make it seem there are no problems that could arise, and you even said "I do it all the time ... but I can see how it would cause problems." No, you really don't. Do you have any idea what would happen if you jumped a tooth, or 2? Do you know how to correctly install a distributor? Remove valve cover, set piston 1 at TDC, blah blah blah. It's a pain in the ***, and people need to leave things alone on their car when they don't know what it does, or how to put it back on!
To the original guy.. go online, get a list of things to do to reinstall a distributor. Then, get some Loc-Tite and put the bolts through. After that, DO NOT TOUCH IT! The timing is adjusted as necessary by the ECU to an extent, and the average person won't need to mess with it.
-Jeff

[Evil S14]

there is a mark on the distributor gear for TDC, just make sure the crank pulley is aligned at TDC and you put the distributor in slightly cocked because the teeth on the gear arent straight

that probably didnt make any sense, nor did it have anything to do with it but i havent posted in a while :o

[AzNCmB]

thanks everybody for their replies...

i'm a little confused because i dont kno if i messed it up or not?
ok....well i didnt take the whole distributor off; I just pulled the distributor out so that i could have enough slack for me to turn the whole distributor to the side and have access to the top bolt that was broken.

So did i mess up the timing or anything? If i did then can anybody direct me so that i could fix it?

I will try 2 get a timing light but i dont know if i could because i just got laid off of my job. I am only 18 years old and i just graduated so i dont have much money. But i'll try.

please...anybody with any thought...i would truly appreciated it...
thanks for reading

[transient]

Man, distance sucks. If you were closer I'd let you use my timing light. Hmm, I wonder if you could rent one at autozone... Some tools they will let you rent for free. (you have to pay a deposit incase you don't bring it back, but as with most deposits, you get it back upon return)

[twitchy]

Originally posted by Jeff240sx
... And I think you're an idiot. -Jeff

Really? Good for you

Originally posted by Jeff240sx
...

Also, lubricating with WD-40 is another reason I think you're an idiot. WD-40 promotes rust. .

funny, i read on the can that it helps prevent rust.


Originally posted by Jeff240sx
... It is a decent temporary way to loosen a rusty thing (like a lock), but worthless to long term lubrication.
. .

And thats why I do it a few times a year. The thing is that the part doesnt need lubrication at all. But if some day I have a moisture related electrical problem, Ill know that base has been covered off. By the way, WD40 has fixed my ignition before when it got wet in about 5 seconds. Its good stuff and wont harm anything you spray it on.

Originally posted by Jeff240sx
you're hurting yourself


not yet I havent, been doing it for a year or so too. Dont know what you mean.

Originally posted by Jeff240sx
You seem to post all sorts of mis-information on this board, and I ask you to stop. Personally, I'd feel terrible if I told someone to do something that could result in catastrophic engine damage.

I post misinformation? Or an opinion you dont like? Cause what i am saying is that *I* do this and that *I* havent had any problems. If it scares you to do this, then I ASK YOU not to try it. And keep your hostile comments to yourself, since the information I posted was in no way wrong. I aknowledged that there were risks, but that I have done it before without incident.




Original dude

again

whatever you did if your engine seems ok, then leave it alone, if the advice I offered you to lubricate and displace moisture and clean seems frightening to you as to our friend jeff, then dont do it.

best of luck

[AzNCmB]

i'll go check and see if they rent out timing lights?


if i did mess up my timing; what would the symptoms be? Because earlier today, my car did not start when i tried to start it, but then i let it sit for like 5 seconds and it started right up.

is that a sympton?

[transient]

Intermittent problems shouldn't be a sign of bad timing. Timing is a somewhat constant thing.