Okay, I've got a 91 RS V6. Pickup coil is shot.

I've got the Haynes manual, but it only shows how to remove the distributor with the engine out of the car. I don't want to remove my motor just to change an 11.00 part.

Any help that could be given would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

OK, so bypass all the steps about "drain fluids" and "remove motor mount bolts" and all that; and jump straight to "remove distributor bolt".

 

You can't do it without removing the distributor. The distributor shaft has to come out of the housing so that you can get the pickup off.

Word of advice.... if your distributor has tons of miles on it you are going to have one b1tch of a time getting the distributor shaft out. The manual usually says "remove retaining pin from bottom distributor gear, remove gear, slide distributor shaft out the top of the distributor." Yeah, RIGHT! With a modest amount of oil sludge caked onto the distributor shaft it will most definitely NOT slide out!!! The sludge starts to pile up as the shaft slides up through the upper bushing and then it gets stuck. Then you work it and work it and tap it and tap it and sometime an hour later you throw it against the wall and go buy another distributor.

I guarantee this will be one of the most annoying $11 parts you ever installed. Frankly, I don't do them any more. I go buy a junkyard distributor, pray that the pickup works and swap all my other electronics into it.

 

Well, I understand that I need to just take the distributor bolt out. The trouble I'm having is getting something on it to take it off. I don't exactly have enough room to get anything down in there.

I'm kinda paranoid about the sludge build up, too. I've heard of this before, and my car has about 208,000 miles on it.

Any advice on what would be best used to get that bolt out? Because that's the only issue I've came across thus far.

This has already become the most annoying part that I've had to work with on this car, and it's the first that I've had to replace since I've got it.

Anyways, thanks for all the replies. Much appreciated.

 

to get to yoru distributor nut there is a distributor wrench at any advanced or autozone. i think its like 12 bucks best investmenti have ever made

 

I'll have to look into that. If that's the case, I'll buy one, even though I hope and pray that I never have to mess with it again. Pickup coils suck.

 

I just rebuilt my whole distributor.... and thats the hardest part is pulling it and putting it back in and reseting time

 

The little V6 uses a different sized distributor bolt than a SBC. I beleive it's 13mm (SBC is 9/16") and I could find NO WAY of getting to it without buying the appropriate distributor wrench. Bummer, but I ponied up the bucks and bought one. 15 seconds later I had the bolt broken loose.

Also, the V6 uses an o-ring on the distibutor shaft collar to seal it up (not a flat paper gasket). I HIGHLY recommend replacing it while you have the distributor out. It gets hard and brittle and will often leak the minute you break it loose and take the distributor out the first time. Trust me, it won't LOOK like an o-ring any more- it'll look like a square shaped hard plastic thing in it's groove but once upon a time it really was a soft, pliable rubber o-ring. I think GM still sells them, but it's been years since I owned a V6 and had to buy one.

 

Well, I guess I'll just break down and buy that wrench along with the coil.

Thanks for all the input. Very much appreciated.

 

The distributor hold down bolt has a 15mm head. If you can't find a distributor wrench in that size a 15mm crows foot or a socket and wobble extension can work. Distributor wrench is still the best tool.

The instant the distributor is out stuff a clean paper towel into the opening.

While at the store get a can of Gum-Out carburetor cleaner. Use that on the shaft to cut through the varnish. Spray it in from the bottom and give some time. Then work the shaft out while adding more Gum-out.

As mentioned replacing the o-ring is a must. It is down about an inch from the mounting collar.

When you place the gear back onto the shaft, align the dimple on it to the slot at the top of the shaft (where the rotor goes on).

Once replaced time the engine to 10deg BTDC. Need to disconnect the EST (BYPASS) connector to do this. Under the hood, between the A/C box and the strut mount, a single tan with black stripe wire, has an inline connector.

Once timed shut off engine, reconnect EST, disconnect timing light and restart.

RBob.

 

Thanks. I'll be sure to get the wrench and replace the o ring.

 

Well, I finally got the distributor off. I ended up getting a 3/8 universal joint and used a 10 inch extension. It came off with a little bit of persuasion.

Thanks for all the help. I appreciate it.