So I figured I'd fix my oil leak today, and I pulled the distributor out to change the o-ring. I gave the gear a spin and - woah, the sucker barely turned! Yes, it was actually hard to turn! So I figured I should pop the gear off and remove the shaft to check it out- I couldn't pull the shaft out either!

Seems the part of the shaft that the gear hangs onto was too thick? I had to polish it away with 320 grit paper (and oil), eventually after an hour or so I could pull the shaft all the way out. The top inch and a half of the shaft was scored, so I polished those out (again w/320 grit), and figured what the hell, I wasted enough time already- so I shined up the whole shaft.

When I put the shaft back in, it spun nice and free, just like it's supposed to.

What the heck could've caused that? Especially the bit about the bottom of the shaft being too thick to slide thru the housing?

Mileage on the car (and distributor) is 279,600 ...

 

Mine was like that too. I did the same thing you did, took the shaft out and cleaned the crud off with some sandpaper.

The oil forms a varnish like substance and builds up on the shaft. Mine had been sitting in a gargage for 2 years so that didn't help either. About 180,000 on the distributor.

 

Ive had quite a few like that. I like to do the aftermarket mod to them before they go back in. If you drill a hole a little below the middle of the shaft casing it allows small amount of oil in to keep it lubed. Accel, MSD, Mallory they all do this.

 

When the shaft doesn't want to budge a carb cleaner such as Gum Out cuts through the varnish. Also works on old lifters that have a ring of varnish around the base preventing them from being removed.

RBob.

 

yup.

ive had alot of old engines that ran fine, but the distrib was crudded up..... cleaned it with alot of solvent, and it was MUCH better.

 

Awesome, thanks for the info, guys! I hadn't had that distributor out for... wow... I think since 2000? Glad to know it was just gunk! I thought a bushing wore out or something, and that I'd have to pick up a new (or junkyard) distributor.

Bummer tho to think that I wasted all that time when some carb cleaner would've done the trick!

SSC, I hadn't heard of that mod! I heard of the one where you modify the distributor gear to get oil on the gear (I think you machined a small flat on the edge), but hadn't heard of drilling the casing. Got a link/picture?

Think i could've been harming the gear at the back of the cam with this hard-to-spin dist?