Any idea's how to get the tamper-proof cap off dist hold down bolt? There must be a special tool. I tried channel locks, got a bite but wouldn't budge. I tried to pop it up with a long screwdriver, no go. Any idea's how to safely remove it? The timing is a few degrees advanced and it's been pinging a bit so I want to set it back to 6*. At 142k I guess it's about time.

 

why dont you just unbolt your distributor at the base near the manifold and back it there a few degrees?

 

are you talking about the bolt and clamp? You can get a special tool that has an angled box end wrench to do it, I tried a angled socket but it is to tall. The tool cost me like $10.

Now if there is a cap covering the bolt, I would say take off the plenum so you can get in there and smash it off.

 

never heard of a tamper-proof cap on the dist hold down bolt.. is that something that came from the factory?

 

I tell ya... stick around long enough and you get to see it all...I wish he had pics ...

 

Here ya go...

 

niiiiiiice.

it looks like a thin enough material to easily pry off with a pair of pliers maybe?

 

thats a first... if you got access to an air hammer i bet that cap would peal off like easily..or just a large screw driver and hammer..show us what it looks like when its off....lol

 

I'm with both Robs here... DESTROY!!!! I was thinking a dremel would do the trick.

 

mftfmtfmtmftcaliforniahorses<x>hitemissionsmftmtfmftfmt.

See if you can pry from the bottom of the thing, not the top as it looks like you've been trying.

 

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA.

What i want to know is where that thing came from. Is it supposed to be the same theory as the child-proof vitamin bottles?

And what does it say around the outside? Watch it say twist and turn...

 

now thats gotta be the dumbest idea ive ever seen

 

I've seen it on a few bikes that have come from cali. PITFA!!

 

Wow, that is insane.

 

Im still be wildered...
I cant believe they made that thing tamper proof..
As if giving your distributor a couple of degrees would possibly give you a 50 horse increase and deplete the ozone in one whack I feel violated and its not even my car...Freaking with the car you paid for should be a G/O/D given right its your car doshgognit!!!!!

 

probably has CARB or something with a bunch of swastikas around the outside...

I second prying. Take a large screwdriver and put a 90 some odd degree bend near the end of it so you can get some leverage and pry that thing off.

 

it looks like every bolt in my CA built car... lol... to hell with california CARB emissions... i wish arnold would do something about this... "NO MORE EMISSIONS!! JUST BIG HUMMER MOBILES AND PIZZA WITH BULLETS FOR ALL!!!!!!"

 

Looks like a "dress-up" bolt cover, they just snap over the head but can be a bustard to get off again, especially in a place like that.

 

yeah its not like that spot is easy to get to anyway

 

Heh, Cali thinks the automobile is evil right off the lot, nevermind a modded car. Which includes changing the base timing to them.

 

thats why im glad i dont live there..LOL....i like living in nowhere illinois...LOL...we dont have emmisions here so all that beautiful smog stuff isnt needed and we can pretty much do what ever we want to our rides without any hassel whatsoever

 

we here in cali can do what we want and we dont get hassled, as long as you have the money and a connect ;-) for $300 every 2 years, i can run whatever i want, until the guy running the smog station gets caught... lol

 

yeah then its gonna suck for you guys and him...LOL....but leagally we can do what we want out here and its okay ...it must suck thou to have to deal with that

 

yeah, california smog is so rediculously stupid... everything under your hood must look stock, you can switch out the intake (only w/ internal EGR), heads (also w/ internal EGR), catback and headers, but only if the headers have AIR tubes..... lol.. but anyways, back to the real topic... can we get an update??? is it off yet?

 

What the ****? I've never seen anything like that on any car.

$300 bucks to pass every two years? find a guy that just wants beer

 

yeah did you get that damn thing off there or what Jon92TA if you get it off i bet you dont put it back on .......LOL....and if you do im gonna slap ya ..LMAO....but anyway did it come off finally or what man

 

Couldn't get that damn thing off after trying for a couple hours of prying and hammering, but I did manage to set the timing back anyway. After moving the coil, AIR hose and vacuum lines out of the way I did manage to get a grip on it with vise-grips. It wasn't super tight so it loosened without much trouble other than not being able to turn it more than a 1/4 inch at a try. I still need to go back in and give it a final tightening which means moving all that stuff one more time.
I guess if I was smart I'd go ahead and pull it out and replace it with a regular bolt but hopefully I won't have to do this again.
Next is spark plugs with should be easier and shouldn't take as long, I can hardly wait.

 

You mean after all this, you still couldn't get it out? Dude, just torch it!

 

get a nice long chisel and whack it with a hammer a couple times and split that damn cap apart and be done with it

 

Good thing I didn't have a torch or I might have used it! I was really gettin' frustrated knowing some damn thing like this was going to beat me and I can't let that happen.
So I'm thinking heck if I gotta move all that stuff just to tighten it up a little more I may as well pull it and replace it and just be done with it. I need to go to Home Depot anyway.

 

I dont know if you have any air tools . But i have an air hammer that blows heads off of bolts clean off, it also splits nuts in half with the right tooling insert. if you dont maybe ask around your local corner shop and ask them how much they would charge you to bust rip that piece off with an air hammer.

It seems like your next job will be alot more enjoyable..lol

 

Glad you got it loose. Now keep on loosening it until you have it in your and and heave it as soon as you get a replacement.