Hey guys,
My car won't start for the millionth time in the past 6 months, its these ignition modules, I keep blowing them, or the wire connection from the pickup to the module is bad. Either way, its in the distributor, and AAA diagnostic said the pickup wires were bad. Im going to fix it right this time, and I am wondering, should I just replace the pickup and the ICM and be on my way, or should I buy an entire rebuilt distributor from a local parts shop? Will I see any benefits from having a brand new distributor in there (other than the pickup and ICM?) Also, if I do just replace my pickup and ICM, do I need to remove the entire distributor assembly, or just take off the cat and pry off the "clip" that holds the pickup in place? If I do have to remove the distributor, will the oil pump shaft come out with it? My car is a 3.1 V6. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

To replace the p/u you have to remove and disassemble the distributor...the p/u will run around $20..the module $25- $50...I would just rebuild what you have...my .02

 

there is a roll pin at the bottom of the shaft...remove it and the rest comes apart....

 

Take a good look at the bushings and shaft. If everything is in good condition, just rebuild it.

One thing I've noticed with many stock distributors is the poor treatment of the oil passage area near the bottom. There is often a lot of excess cating flash and material there. While it probably doesn't really impede oil flow, if you're somewhat "****" like some of us you might want to clean up the excess with a file or die grinder to make sure the passage is full size all the way around the shaft. Just another one of those details, and as long as the distributor is out...