What all do I need to overhaul the electronics in my distributor? Ignition module, pick-up coil, gaskets, etc.? I just wondered because I pulled the cap and rotor and that round thing under the rotor has all sorts of corrosion on it, and there's a pile of white dust under the cap. I think I may have finally found the cause of my rough idle and loss of power. I can't afford to buy the MSD distributor, so please help me with my sick looking one. Thanks guys.

 

The white stuff you see is the result of the silicon used on the terminals to help cut down on radio interference. I would replace the cap and rotor and just clean up the rest, especially if your dist. is still working. If you go and replace everything inside, it usually is cheaper to get a rebuilt than buy everything separately. Good luck

 

It has new cap and rotor and wires, but that little pickup coil underneath the rotor looks pretty bad, so I was thinking of throwing in a new one and a new ignition module. Can either of these cause a rough idle and power loss? Thanks for the help, man.

 

If you wash your engine regularly (like I do), then it is highly likely that water has, at more than one time, gone up into the distributor, through the air vent holes in the bottom plate. This will cause the coil to corrode, which may cause a number of problems. The pickup coil is fairly inexpensive. Pull the module & clean it and the plate it mounts to, as well. You must use silicone grease between the module & the aluminum plate to form a good thermal connection - the plate is a heat sink for the module. Another thing you may consider replacing is the rotating "pole piece". The magnetic strangth fades over time & can cause the pulse to the pickup to weaken & be more susceptible to noise. If you can't feel the magnets being attracted to the stationary poles (4 "pulses" per revolution of the shaft) as you rotate the pole piece shaft, then I'd change it, too. Mark where the rotor points & where the distributor plate is, relative to a fixed point (on the intake manifold), before you pull the distributor out to make reinstallation easy.

Tim

 

Thanks Tim! Do I have to pull the distributor, 'cause it looks like I can access the module and p/u coil with the distributor in the car. Mine's a '90 IROC 350 TPI with the remote coil. Do you think the pickup coil can cause rough idle and power loss? Thanks again!

 

The distributor needs to come out to remove the pickup coil, since you will have to remove the drive gear from the pole piece shaft to get at the shield retainer - the gear is held in position with a rolled dowel pin. It is possible that a faulty pickup coil could cause a rough idle - a scope would answer that question more definatively.

Tim

 

Thanks again, Tim! Lord knows I've never been much of an electrician! I'll get the parts this weekend and let you know if it fixes it.