ok so since today was a slow day for me I decided let's get cracking on that camaro and see how the old girl is holding up.


Well after about 45 minutes of tagging the plug wires and the terminals on the cap I managed to pry the cap off with the wires detached. I took a look at the inside of the cap and found some carbon build up on each of the metal tabs. So I took a metal file as instructed by my trust Haynes manual and filed down the carbon buildups. It looks better now, no build up whatsoever so I was wondering if its safe to put this thing back on? Or if I have to go and get a new cap. I have no idea, I may do it either way, I just wanted to file them down to see how it looks, I have never looked at another distributor cap before so I have no idea what to expect.

Next up, I looked at some of the plug wries that I detached from the cap itself, the majority of them are browny rusty colored on the inside. There are some that are still clean however. Would it be worth it to just trash these wires altogether and get new ones. I may get accel 8.8mm wires but am not sure if it would make much of a difference. I saw no carbon or white deposits on the inside of the wires, I just say brown rust basically.

Lastly, I checked the rotor, looked at the metal contact, all around that circled area is just black, looks like it was burnt or what not. I can't really tell if there was carbon deposits however. Where the rotor connects however is alot of carbon flakes and deposits....where the screws are...I dunno if that makes sense but thats about as descriptive as I can get.

I am leaving the car alone, I'll leave the cap off with the wires detached over night and when tomorrow comes I'll stop by the autoparts store to see what is it I need.

Please help me out with this, I appreciate it alot.

EDIT: I might also add that, it doesn't happen very often but the car will sometimes not start after like heavy driving. What I mean by that is, one day I took it up to a nearby Mountain (this mountain's pretty big, about 9000ft altitude) and just before I got to the top of the mountain, I stopped by a side road way, parked the car and looked at the view. Then when I got back in, I tried starting the car, it would come alive for a second then immediately die. Giving it gas didn't seem to help at all when I started it either. The third time though it worked just barely with my gas like on the floor. It has only done this three times within the period I have owned the car...I have no idea if this is what relates to my distributor, rotor and plug wire stuff. I changed out the spark plugs about 4 months ago but did nothing else.

Also I dunno if this has anything to do with anything, but when I am at idle sometimes the car like stutters and it just won't idle smoothly, its very shakey at times and is often irritating...any idea?

 

get a new cap and rotor, try to get the best ones you can for these. Which means getting the most expensive ones your parts store has to offer. I had bad rotors/caps go out within 1000 miles. When the cap/rotor goes out, you're car wont run. I dont cheap out on them anymore.

Replace all your wires too, it wouldn't hurt to get fancy 8.8 plug wires, but i wouldn't unless you're running an aftermarket coil, distributer. Might as well replace the spark plugs also if they need to be.

 

I looked online at pep boys and found some pretty good stuff for not overly expensive.

First off I found a Hypertech cap and rotor kit online for about 25 bucks, and then I found the accel 8.8mm wire set for about 63 bucks as well.

I'll go to the store tomorrow and pick those up. By changing these things out will help my car run any smoother or run any better.

Its been doing fine with my, but there are still minor annoyances with the car. I have yet to change the fuel filter, I checked it out last week and to be honest I don't see anything wrong with it. I am kinda scared to mess with it though in fear of getting fuel in my eyes. So I prolly have to go and buy some safety goggles or something.

 

anymore help would be greatly appreciated

 

May seem like a blantant question but its sitting smack dab in front of my face taunting me.

Its black and burnt and I bought a replacement. I just need to know how to get the damn thing off without breaking anything.

I tried pulling upwards on it with brute force but its not budging at all. Am I doing something wrong?

This is on a 305 TBI by the way

 

Nope, you're not doing anything wrong. Sometimes these things just kind of
melt to the distributor shaft. Try tapping it all around with a plastic-faced
hammer (lightly, without breaking it if possible). If that doesn't get it, then try
a pickle fork (for ball joint separation-it's a little wider than the tie-rod end
version), and gently pry up. Hopefully the first way works. Good luck!

 

I am trying very hard on that second method...I dont have a plastic faced hammer unfortunately but I am using that crowbar looking thing from my tire jack kit. This is very hard, its seated on there tightly. Do I go all around cause I am only doing it in one spot. By using a regular hammer I already damaged a plastic hose so I'll have to go down to the store and pick up a replacement...

Is there anything I can do to break this thing loose, its on there tight, I think I am moving it but I can't tell

 

The plastic of the rotor is very brittle... some wirecutters and some needlenose pliers make short work of it. Thats what I did when mine melted...

 

It's best if you can tap all around it, you're basically trying to crack it free
using it's original parting line. If the outer 'ring' breaks, you can try an open
end wrench that fits tightly around the distributor shaft. You don't want to
use vise-grips because you're squeezing it tighter to the shaft-unless it
comes down to having to shatter the rotor and pick it out in pieces. If you
do have to break it, cover up the guts of the distributor the best you can.
Try wobbling it while you're pulling up on it too. Good luck dude!
Before you put the new one on, smear a tiny dab of electrical grade grease
on the shaft, you'll thank yourself later for your great foresight!

 

I got it off...

Score one, I just used the crowbar and I used force to pry it off and it just popped off...the rotor is in pretty beat up condition, I dunno if I'll notice any difference in driving but hopefully I will...

I just went to the store to get some electrical tape to patch up that hose that I accidentally tore with the hammer method.

I didn't get any electrical grade grease and I am slapping myself for that.

Oh well, I might have something ethical in the garage to use I have alot of stuff just have to dig and find. I'll snap the new rotor in place now, put the distributor cap back on, connect all the wires and set her off again...

Thanks for the help guys!

 

Glad you got it with just minimal breakage! Change it more often, and use
a higher quality (MSD, Standard Blue-Streak, etc...), and you'll minimize
the difficulty.

 

Yeah now my main grief is getting that little devil screw back behind the firewall of where the distributor cap connects to...I am using a small screwdriver to get it in place I dunno if its tightening but it should, I am pressing down on it so it can lock onto the thread.

I might need to do the plug wires pretty soon, I cleaned up the distributor cap so I am putting that back on...

We'll see how it all turns out...I'll start it up when I am finished, if life loves me then it'll work, if not then I belong nowhere near cars...

 

On your cap and rotor,agood quality cap will have brass contacts instead of aluminum and you don't have to spend a lot of dollars.The Conrad goldline that Autozone carries are made almost identical to MSD's.As for wires delco's wires are very good as are Autolite's proffessional line but in my IMHO MSD's 8.5 wires are probably the best I've ever used(I used Moroso Blue Max before these came out).Always use dielectric grease inside both the plug boots and the dist cap boots.This makes for a good seal and also helps to prevent the boot from sticking to the plugs insulator.
On your hard starting problem you say she's starts the immediatly shuts off.That could something as simple as a loose connection,bad fuel pump relay or a partially clooged fuel filter.Now if she just trys to turn over real slow without startin,then you could have a starter going bad - a problem known as heat soak causes this.

 

Ditto o nthe Conrad cap and rotor. Thats all I run with my MSD setup and have had 0 problems.

 

I'd go MSD for cap and rotor, and Taylor for wires.

 

yeah so I think something is wrong....started the car up, started just fine. Took it for a stroll around the neighborhood then onto the main road. Something didn't feel right.

When I kept hitting the gas, the RPMs shot up fairly quickly, in order to describe it fully, its almost like the car was trying to find a gear to settle in.

I dunno if I may have messed with the TV cables trying to get the rotors off but I steered clear away from those cables....I may have touched them, but I tried not to. I don't think the cables are that fragile to just come apart, they look to be in the same exact position.


I dunno if this is a TV cable thing or if I didn't do the rotor right, at idle the car was chugging as if it was gasping. It didn't really idle right, I dont wanna say its worse than before but it definitely doesn't feel right.

I dont know whats going on...I tried my best to seat the rotor all the way down to where it originally was, but I could still safely fit that crowbar in between. When I pulled out the old one I had to use a flat head screwdriver to lift it up a bit then I used the crowbar from there...

I dunno if my TV cables came off, or if they need to be readjusted, the car shiftts into 1st gear 15mph then 2nd gear at 35mph.

Its shifting like it always has, but I guess it kinda misses throughout the driving range? I have no idea....when I sat in park the rpm needle went up a down a bit not by much though, hardly noticeable but still it did.

Did I do the rotor wrong? its seated in the same exact way as the original one was...I dunno if I need to push it down even further but I really cannot go any more without using something forceful. I tried using the butt end of a hammer and just lightly tapped it down, and it seemed to get it down a bit but no more without really hitting on it....

 

Oh man, don't do all that work to put an old cap back on! Go get a new one
dude-they are cheap compared to the pain in the rear they are to put on and
take back off! BTW, it helps if you tighten the screws equally, a little bit at a
time, that way the cap isn't cockeyed.

 

wait what screws? The distributor cap screws? I put the new rotor on. As far as the distributor screws, facing the engine, i was able to screw the right screw in and securely but the left one is very loose....very very loose, I cannot get it to lock onto the threads, its very hard to do the left one too because of the extremely small workspace but I used a small screwdriver to get it out and no problems there, however is about 100 times more difficult to get the screw back in...


could this be causing the problem or no? I mean the cap is seated on there. And yeah that new rotor was a measley 5 bucks...

EDIT: I really don't know whats going on with the car, I probably should've bought a new distributor cap, I dunno if its my transmission causing this slight mishap throughout driving, I didn't touch the TV cables at all...any help is appreciated

 

Still waiting for replies

 

Can you put the screw in for the hard to get to first, then the easier one?
I have a feeling that your rotor isn't making 'contact' correctly with the
terminals on your cap. You might wish to slightly deburr your distributor
shaft with some emery cloth or fine sandpaper (cover your distributor guts
first) to make sure your rotor isn't hanging up on a chinger. The rotor should
just push on fairly easily, and bottom out. If it's not all the way on, it's very
unlikely that you'll be able to get your cap on correctly. I know it's tight in
there, but if you were able to get it off, it should go back on, if everything
is lined up right. As your primary health care physician, I'd highly recommend
a malted beverage, elevate your feet and relax a coupla minutes before
trying it again, repeat as needed. . It may come to the point where you
might have to loosen your distributor, and turn it so you can get it back
together, but you'll have to time it again.

 

Get your wire cutters, go out to the car, cut all the old ignition wires in half so you can't even think of using them again. Remove the old distributor cap and throw it as far as you can. Install a new cap and decent set of wires. They don't have to be "designer" wires, just get good quality resistance wires, like Packard, and reinstall them. Remove some plugs and clean/gap/inspect them. If in doubt, replace them. Driving around with a weak ignition probably hasn't helped the plug condition.

Remove the rotor again, and apply a little silicone grease or even Vaseline to the distributor shaft. This will help knock down the rust, and allow the rotor to slide on and fully seat more easily.

Don't worry about the TV cable just yet. Once it is running and idling right, you can readjust that easily.

 

ok so I went back to the store got myself a new cap and some grease. This is exactly what happened.

My car was running really rough...far worse when I pulled back into my house. After letting the car cool for about 45 minutes, I popped open the hood, yanked all the wires out again (even though I didn't want to)

Pulled off the cap, and here is where it gets fun. The rotor easily came off with my pinky, thats right my pinky.


What I guess happened, was while the car was operating, the rotor was spinning round and round and it got pretty loose. So I went back to the store got myself a new cap because the old one was bad, got myself some silicone grease and have yet to take a stab at it cause I was hungry and went to go and get something to eat.

I was gonna get a set of wires but they had none in stock for my car, so I guess I'll hold off on those...

 

Tank up (you, not the car). Get your new cap and rotor installed corectly, and test the wires you have. They may be good, maybe not. If not, the meter may show it. You should also inspect the wires for damage. If you find anything, you know what your next step will be. Checked any plugs lately?

 

Wires need to be replaced I think I can't do them today though because they didn't have any in stock. The majority of the wires are corroded and brown rusty colored on the inside. The guy said it would be a good idea to replace them but since they didn't have any in stock he suggested that I just apply a small dab of electrical grease and smooth it out in the boot end of the wires with a Q-tip or something...


But I do have one important question, now looking at the bottom of the rotor there are two slots, one narrow plastic slot, and one wide slot with a metal tab slided into it. I have to get the narrow plastic slot onto the narrow piece of the distributor shaft right? Do I just slide it in there as far as I can all the way in? I applied a good amount of electrical grease on there to ease the sliding, I am leaving the grease on there I just need a reply from anyone here before I do the next step.


I got the new cap, new rotor, thats about it, the spark plug wires will be changed soon though...

 

and do I have to make sure the rotor is seated ALL the way down, like it is touching the base of it.


Basically what is happening now is that I applied the grease and I am sliding the rotor onto the distributor shaft...what is happening is I can easily pull the rotor out again....is this supposed to happen?

I am trying my best to push it all the way down and I am really trying to force it too but its not going down any further, i did the crowbar test again and there's still a marginal gap, I lubricated the thing all over the place...from top to bottom, it seems easy enough to put it on and granted the same way goes for it coming off.


EDIT: I am really really desperate to get this thing going, please anyone help me. I need to get this done I have so much stuff to do tomorrow I cannot afford to leave the car out of service for 4 days. I need help....please!!!!!!
I need help guys, I need this car functional by tomorrow because I got alot of stuff to do tomorrow and having an inoperative car won't help me by much....

 

Anyone out there? Hellloooo!


I really need this to get done, its getting late and I need to get some sleep please....anyone anyone at all with any information as to why this damn thing is not seating all the way down I NEED YOUR HELP NOW MORE THAN EVER PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

Here's to hoping I can get some kind of response


EDIT: *sigh* Ok then I guess I'll have to put my errands on hold until Wednesday then, luck apparently isn't on my side this week. I have too much stuff to do this week and I swear everytime I do a repair on my car IT NEVER GOES THE WAY I WANT IT TO. Something always happens, ALWAYS....

I need to sleep for a week.......

 

bump

 

The rotor needs to seat all the way. Clean up the shaft with some emery cloth, or whatever you have laying around. If necessary tap LIGHTLY with a hammer to get it to seat. LIGHTLY!!!!! Dont break it.

For the cap, make sure it is lined up correctly, you can start the screws with your fingers. I know that back side screw is a pain, but if you have a quarter inch ratchet, a short extension, and the right size socket, it is easy. Do not overtighten. They just need to be snug.

If they don't have wires in stock, order the ones you want. Corrosion inside the terminals is a sure sign it is time to replace them. May want to change your plugs while you are at it. If everything else looks worn, I bet the plugs are too.

 

ok something is not right, the distributor cap is not lining up at all on the panel...

The rotor is seated all the way now, the distributor cap is proving to be a royal pain in the ***...

The right screw is JUST fine I can screw that in no problem, then I move over to the left side and its notwhere near the thread....

I have tried screwing the right side one by one and then going to the left side but its not working....either one side will match up and the other is completely off...


I NEED HELP

 

Reorient the distributor cap so it fits. It can only go on one way so that the screws and key line up.

 

I dunno, I hate this, I hate working on this car now...it never goes as planned...never something always happens.

I mean I dunno how many different ways the damn thing can pop in and pop off...If the right screw goes in then the left screw should go in with no problems either....I am getting very irritated.

What could've been a 45 minute job is now turning into a 3 day nightmare...I am open to any more ideas

 

What Vader is saying is turn the cap so that what is now the left screw is the right screw, and vice versa. It sounds like you don't have it turned properly so the little tab molded in the bottom mounting surface is lining up with the corresponding notch in the distributor base. There's only one tab and one notch, so the cap will only go on in one orientation.

 

but if I do that wouldnt it be backwards?????

I understand what you mean, but I have the right screw in right now and the left one is still not budging at all...I will try turning it around...

 

Of course, the #1 spark plug wire will still need to be where it was on the old cap relative to the distributor. Any one of the wires will go to any terminal on the cap, you need to put the wires on the right terminal after you determine the right orientation for the cap.

 

YES I GOT IT ON! That little Devil screw the cap is on securely WHOOP WHOOP!


I am a nerd...today is a good day

 

Congrats on the success of your ongoing saga! What have we learned....

1. Use only top quality stuff. It may cost a tad more, but it works.
2. Change the ignition parts on a more frequent basis to prevent difficulties.
3. Drink only single malt scotch, makes tune-ups a whole lot easier -
especially that evil #8 spark plug.....

 

I never have too much trouble with the #8. #2 is worse, IMO. Then again, after a couple glasses of Cutty, I'm not sure which end of the engine is which.

 

ok so I got everything on and going...

Now......SES light came on while I was taking her out for a test run....what may have caused this to chime in?

I know it cant be the EGR valve cause I replaced that about 3 months ago to be exact along with the EGR solenoid.


any Ideas? The car seems to run a bit better, when I pulled in back home, I shut the car car off, the SES light came on as the car fired up too, I switched it off again, still on, then once again still on, final time it went away....

Did I do anything wrong???

 

check your codes and go from there.

 

By go from there, you mean go to the bottle of Glenlivet, right?

You could even try disconnecting the battery, but yeah, check for codes.

 

ohhhh you know what, thats prolly why the manual said to disconnect the battery...whoops

The light hasnt come back on at all since it went away, so i guess I'll drop the charges....

 

I think it was the great spokesman Homer J. Simpson that said:
"DOH!"

Maybe you need to repeat the single malt dose, or maybe I will
for you.....

 

vodka only please. Straight, pure, crystal clear, oh so refreshing vodka.

 

would this seem like a logical mistake though?

The light's gone as far as I am concerned, by the way the car is running beautifully. The last two things I have to do is spark plug wires and fuel filter, then the car will be as good as new...

 

If the codes are cleared and don't recur, you should be all set. Just don't forget to finish the job by checking the wires and plugs, replacing filters, and whatever other service is due based on mileage.

 

here's to hoping they don't come back, I'll be sure to get those wires replaced soon.


Anyone recommend a good reasonably priced brand company? My stock wires should hold up for a bit longer, but its not something I'd keep in the car for another 6 months...

I heard Bosche was pretty good, Duralast was good...

I dont wanna pay more than 40 bucks for a set...anything more is performance territory.

 

i've bought duralast, only cause I was in a pinch. I wouldn't recommend them. My biggest bitch about them is that when you pull off the boot they tend to leave the connector attached to the spark plug. eventually i'm going to get an msd set. I heard accel's are good, but then I heard people had trouble with them leaking. Don't know. I'm not even sure what I have on mine. They were new when I got it and when I replaced the 305 with the 350 I used them.

 

I'd shy away from the Duralasts, and personally I've had many problems
with Accel....If you are staying stock, look for Packard wires offered by
AC Delco, but made by Standard Ignition. If you plan to ever do ignition
upgrades (MSD, etc....) go with Taylor or MSD.

Before you start on your fuel filter, which you should change religiously,
soak it first with NutsOff or PB Blaster.