How do I get to the distributor hold down bolt on my '91 firebird? I'm doing a tuneup on it right now. I replaced the cap and rotor today and I was going to set the timing. My timing is on 6 degrees right now, stock is 10 right?

Any tips on getting to that hold down bolt?

 

You need some long extensions a swivel and a 12 or 14 mm socket for the bolt.

 

I've got a distributor wrench, I use on my 305, I think it's 9/16's. I can't even see the bolt on the v6 though. There is a lot of grime and grease back there. I'm thinking that the wiring harness goes right past where it the bolt should be. Would i be right?

 

Bolt on my 91 is a 15mm, same with one on my s10.

I use a very short 15mm wrench that I bought in a set from wal-mart.

 

yeah, that 15mm socket, which always get s itself lost , and the 1/4" itty bitty wratchet. just manuver your arm down in there. should be easier w/manual tranny. works for me, but always gives me a dirty arm afterwards

 

Why make the job harder on yourself??? Just get a footlong 3/8 extension bar with a swivel on the end of it attached to the socket. That way you just have to get it on the bolt and turn the ratchet.

 

See above
TO CHEAT MORE
Sears sells a nifty 15mm swivel socket placed onto the extensions they also sell.
Nuff said.
Good luck, it's so much fun!

 

My problem isn't the tools for the job, I just can't find the bolt!

 

Right under the back-passenger side of the distributor. I have to crawl ontop of intake to reach it. Then have to "blind F^&% it" when I work on it.

I attempted the socket on swivel with long extension. Didn't work for me.

 

I hate this word but
TRUST US IT'S THERE!
Passenger side, engine block follow hand down distb adn you'll feelit
Next get better visual access & use what IS SUGGESTED A SWIVEL HEAD 15MM SOCKET ON EXTENSIONS & you'll do well.

 

Yeah, I've squashed my boys so many times on the top of that fender... and then there's no way to get OFF the fender easily! Think of a fish out of water; that's how I look trying to get off the fender when that happens.

That bolt is a sucker to find... just feel for it. Feel down the back of the distributor cap. Feel down until you find where the distributor base ends; then feel "underneath" the distributor towards the center. You'll find the distributor shaft. Then follow that down until you find where the distributor goes into the intake manifold. You'll feel a flat metal bracket in that spot. Follow the metal bracket backwards; then you'll find the bolt.

What sucks is they want you to timing when the engine's at operating temperature, meanwhile, you can burn yourself!! I'm so glad I bought those Mechanix M-pact gloves... makes things a little less hot to handle.

I use similar methods; my tools go together like: ratchet, 8 inch extension, universal (aka "swivel"), and 15mm socket. I thought I was slick and was using a 9/16" wrench that I had cut in half; yeah well not only was the wrench the wrong size (shoulda been a 15mm), but it was a btch to get a grasp on.

 

Its real bad when you burn yourself and completely screw the timing up and have to do it again. Ok I almost got it there"sssiiiiiittt" owww crap "klupkulnklupm" gotta do it again.

 

Here is what I did to get to the distributor bolt (see pic). The wrench is a 15mm combo. Bent 90° in the middle by first heating it with a propane torch (plumbers torch). A stove may also work, just need to heat it up enough to soften it.

The plan was to then weld a piece onto it to make a U shaped wrench. But expediency took over and I ended up using the bar (in pic) placed into the open end to twist the wrench.

The box end goes over the bolt head. Note that on auto equip'd cars the TV cable may also be run over top of the bolt. Just something to watch for.

RBob.