Hey guys,
My 92 V6 (3.1L) Camaro needs its distributor out, because the faulty pickup coil needs to be serviced. I have a Haynes manual, which gives an explanation how to do it, but I want some specific instructions because the Haynes manual isn't exactly reliable. What tools do I need to do this, will a socket and a wrench be all that I need? Can you give me tips on how to keep the timing correct, as that is my main concern. I know a good deal of info about cars, but never messed with removing a distributor, any tips are greatly appreciated.

 

just remove the hold down clamp and pull it up and out, no special tools required

 

Make sure you don't drop the oil pump driveshaft down into the motor. It's a hex shaft that usually comes out with the distributor shaft, but it can fall out. Just be careful- you don't want to go "magnet fishing" for an oil pump driveshaft!

Also, replace the oil seal (o-ring) at the top of the distributor shaft while you've got it out. The o-ring gets hard and brittle and starts leaking after many heat cycles.

 

It does?

 

not sure about 60* engine but the 90* v6s are just like a SBC and the oil pu,p drive shaft can't come out with the distributor, only hex shaped drive shafts i've saw were on fords.

 

Yeah, and I've twisted off some of those weenie little hex shafts on 289s and 302s. That really bites, because the engine will still run.

AFAIK, the oil pump shaft on a 60° V-6 is retained just like on he V-8s. Unfortunately, my manuals aren't very clear on that.

 

Might want to make a mental note of exactly which way the rotor is pointing, and make a mark the dist shaft down by the hold-down clamp so you can get it back in there the way it came out. Ign timing should come out pretty close, but should be re-checked anyway.

A hint: don't leave the hold-down clamp and the bolt laying down there while pulling out the dist. They WILL fall into the hole if given the slightest chance!

 

If you can get a hold of a distributor wrench for cheap, pick it up. I wouldn't go without mine!

 

distributor wrench's rule

 

nope, 60* V-6's use a strait(no sleve)hex shaped shaft(I've used a socket on a drill to prime them) and it will most likly come out with the distributor, it may be stuck in the bottom (in the gear), if it dosent come out with the dist., I'd make sure it is in the oil pump with a socket on a drill(I tape the socket to an extension and then use one of those adapters in the drill) spinning clockwise , if oil starts coming into the hole arond the shaft, it is in the oil pump

 

Dave,

Thanks for the tip. I know the odd-fire Chevy V-6s are like the V-8s, but didn't have a clue about the 60° engines.

 

If you do a search on the V6 board, I've put up a ton of messages regarding the 2.8/3.1's distributor. The Haynes is dead-on about the distributor removal, by the way. You might want to bring your engine up to #1 top dead center, just to make life easier, and to check your balancer.

Remove the coil wire from the dist cap, remove the #1 plug (remember it's front Passenger side cylinder, for our 2.8/3.1's!!). Turn the crank clockwise (as viewed from front bumper) with a socket on a breaker bar, while you have your finger over the #1 plug hole. When you start feeling pressure on your finger (compression stroke), take your finger away, and put a phillips' head screwdriver gently into the spark plug hole, to touch the top of the piston. Don't scrape the sides of anything in there. Turn the crank a bit more; when the screwdriver stops raising, you've found TDC of #1.

When you get to #1 TDC, check your balancer to make sure the outer ring hasn't slipped. The balancer's timing mark should line up exactly with "zero" on the timing degree indicator. If it doesn't, the rubber isolation ring has probably deteriorated, allowing the outer ring to move as it wants- and your timing will be off when you set it later.

Distrib rebuild is a 10 minute job; all the work is removing it and installing it. Remember to clean up the gap between the reluctor and pole pieces. With the distrib in your hand, spin the gear. You'll feel some slight pulses. This is the magnets of the reluctor (spinning disc at top of distrib) lining up with the "fingers" that are fixed to the top of the distributor. By using a valve feeler gauge, you can bend all the fingers an even distance IN towards the reluctor disc. The pole pieces, obviously, shouldn't touch. When you're done aligning the pole pieces to the reluctor tabs, spin the distributor gear again- the "pulsing" will feel stronger to you. This is good; it's a stronger signal to the pick-up coil.

Oh, one more thing; it's okay for the pole pieces to have some surface rust on 'em; no electricity jumps through them. It's just magnetism. You could clean up excessive rust at the tips of the fingers, where they line up to the tabs on the reluctor disc... but you probably won't have excessive rust. Don't go sanding the hell out of 'em!