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Author Topic: Disties for dummies...  (Read 2548 times)

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Offline 78txpony

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Disties for dummies...
« on: January 31, 2010, 06:30:04 PM »
Okay, so right now my 78 Pinto sits in my mom's back yard awaiting a distributor change.  This is the same car as in the "2.3 engine dies" thread.
I got a reman disty for only 50 bucks, so i just want to change it, as other forums informed me that the pickup unit has a "dies when hot" problem sometimes. This is the only ignition part NOT changed, too....

Can anyone give my some pointers of what to do and not to do while replacing the disty?  What has to be removed other than the air cleaner? 
I guess i will rotate the crank pulley to get the rotor in #1 firing position and mark the original rotor, disty, and block. 
Then I will transfer the marks to the new disty and drop it in, lining everything up.  Or do I need to kinda twist it in to avoid damaging the o ring?
What is the crank pulley bolt size?
Does the oil pump shaft come out or stay in the engine?  It appears to be a hexagon shape.  When installing, is there a trick to engaging the shaft to the disty? 

The manual makes it sound too easy, as if they are not telling me the most important info. 
Thanks!

-Rob Young
1978 Pinto Pony sedan (Old Faithful) a.k.a. "the Tramp"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thelonerider2005/sets
1972 Cutlass Supreme Convertible (442 clone) -"Lady" (My mistress...)
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Offline Lost Coz

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Re: Disties for dummies...
« Reply #1 on: February 01, 2010, 11:20:57 AM »
Normally, there is a collar around the hex rod that goes to the oil pump that will keep it from coming out, unless someone at some other time has removed it (The collar). If they did, the whole hex rod might come completely out with the distributor. If that happens, be careful when you reinstall the rod, and don't let it drop into the pan >:(. Normally it is a very easy replacement and the new distributor will slide down over the rod without forcing it. Easy job, unless the pan has to be removed to get to a dropped hex rod :mad:.


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Offline 78txpony

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Re: Disties for dummies...
« Reply #2 on: February 01, 2010, 11:44:08 AM »
Thanks LC...
The pan has never been removed, nor the engine opened up, so hopefully the collar is still on it. 
So if it is not and the rod comes out, I must get it back into the oil pump first try.  If I miss is when it falls into the pan?  Thats how I understand it. 
I never had this engine opened up and do not know what it is in it (and rather not find out with mine)...
Thanks again for response. 
-Rob Young
1978 Pinto Pony sedan (Old Faithful) a.k.a. "the Tramp"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thelonerider2005/sets
1972 Cutlass Supreme Convertible (442 clone) -"Lady" (My mistress...)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/robsalbum/sets
1986 Cutlass Supreme Coupe - "Pristine"
1997 H-D Sportster

Offline 71pintoracer

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Re: Disties for dummies...
« Reply #3 on: February 02, 2010, 08:42:12 PM »
The collar should be on there. Put some WD 40 on the o-ring and drop it in. Also, it may not want to drop all the way in, (pump rod not lining up exactly) and you will have to turn the engine over by hand a little to get it to drop in. Then turn it back to line up your marks.
crank pulley bolt is 7/8, dist bolt is 17 mm or 11/16. Prob need a swivel to get it.
If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?

Offline dick1172762

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Re: Disties for dummies...
« Reply #4 on: February 02, 2010, 10:15:33 PM »
Don't worry about the rod falling into the pan, as it will not go anywere, and may even come out the first time you change oil. Biggest problem is getting another rod. I've seen hi mile motors with 1 or 2 rods in the pan on overhaul.
Its better to be a has-been, than a never was.

Offline 78txpony

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Re: Disties for dummies...
« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2010, 09:13:26 AM »
Success!   
 Thanks for the advice given.

Everything went well on this operation - even easier than I had thought. 
I first learned that these distys turn CW, and not CCW as stated in many other Ford sites.

After pulling the cap, I lined up the disty rotor to the #1 plug wire tower by bumping the starter and then turning the crank bolt (7/8") a little more to perfectly line up the #1 reluctor tooth right in the middle of the pickup.  I marked the reluctor tooth, the #1 tower location, the base of the disty at the casting mold mark and lastly the block itself.  I made darn SURE I took the ratchet out of the crank bolt...  :surprised:
I pulled the clamp bolt (11/16", under the PVC crankcase hose), removed disty clamp and slowly pulled out the old disty with very slight short twists, watching where the reluctor turned when the gears unmeshed.  It went CW a hair over 1/2 a tooth.
I pulled it out straight the rest of the way and moved it to the edge of the block (without tilting) and removed it. 
Naturally one would want to tilt it away from the block, BUT, if the oil pump shaft was in the disty, it could have easily fallen into the block. 

I attached a picture of the disty hole; the "no-zone" obviously near the drive gear.  The other side is just a puddle of oil.


The engine teardown section in the manual  :read: had a good picture of the oil pump shaft and retainer.  The retainer is nothing more than a C-clip that is near the middle of the ~3" long shaft and fits between the oil pump and the block, keeping the shaft in place when the disty is pulled.  If the engine has not been torn down before, then the clip ~should~ be there.

I marked the new disty just like the old one, noting #1 firing position, and smeared engine oil on the disty O-ring. 
Getting it back in CORRECTLY was the hardest part. It does not just drop in - it is more of a drop in, engage gear, twist body, push down some (straight), twist more, cuss a bit, engage the gear push and twist more, and cuss a lot because now it is seated but half a reluctor tooth advanced!  :nocool:

Okay, gently twist it out and try again.  Repeat the above, with even more pushing twisting and lots more cussing, because now it is finally home and it is half a reluctor tooth retarded!   :mad:

Third time is a charm, right?  Well, after repeating most of the above, it went in, aligned just a hair off and that could be easily adjusted out.  :lol:  I think getting the oil pump shaft to align was most of the problem.

I installed the clamp, vac hoses, rotor, cap (with wires falling off and rust falling out!) and air cleaner.  A complete tune-up will be done this spring.

Moment of truth - engine fired right up and ran smooth!  :hypno: :hypno: After 10 minutes of warm up, I got out the timing light and set to 6*BTDC with vac advance disconnected and plugged.  I was about 4* off - not bad.  With the timing light, I bumped the throttle and verified centrifugal advance was working. 

After setting timing, idle speed and mixture, engine ran great - even smoother than before.  :amazed: Disty bolt was tightened and everything reassembled and connected. 

Car ran great at idle, around the neighborhood for 10 minutes, and even for the 20 minute drive home.  I think she is fixed now!   ;D ;D
I confirmed the main source of problem was the pickup coil failing when heated up.  I somewhat verified this by taking AC voltage measurements when cold, and slowly heated it by pouring hot water on the pickup coil. Voltage was way less when hot. 

Although I could have replaced just the pickup coil, a reman disty was the same price as the pickup.  Also, the disty shaft was loosey-goosey - at least 0.015" side-side slop when cold.  I think it is was a reman unit installed 53K miles ago.  The original lasted over 100K and was replaced out of preventive maintanence.  It was due and should last another 50K or so!
 :fastcar:
-Rob Young
1978 Pinto Pony sedan (Old Faithful) a.k.a. "the Tramp"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thelonerider2005/sets
1972 Cutlass Supreme Convertible (442 clone) -"Lady" (My mistress...)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/robsalbum/sets
1986 Cutlass Supreme Coupe - "Pristine"
1997 H-D Sportster

Offline blupinto

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Re: Disties for dummies...
« Reply #6 on: February 03, 2010, 12:32:03 PM »
YAY!!!!! Kimmy, insert your cheerleader emoticons here!!! lol.

Rob, I knew you could do it! I'm so glad you didn't give up on her!  You deserve to celebrate!  ;D
One can never have too many Pintos!

Offline 78txpony

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Re: Disties for dummies...
« Reply #7 on: February 03, 2010, 02:55:34 PM »
I'm so glad you didn't give up on her!  You deserve to celebrate!  ;D
I knew I would not give up as long as it was not a major issue.  Only one part left - what else could it have been? 
Celebrate?  YES!   :drunk: :drunk: :drunk: :drunk:

BTW, I loved your comment in the classified section.... Brought a good :lol: !
-Rob Young
1978 Pinto Pony sedan (Old Faithful) a.k.a. "the Tramp"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thelonerider2005/sets
1972 Cutlass Supreme Convertible (442 clone) -"Lady" (My mistress...)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/robsalbum/sets
1986 Cutlass Supreme Coupe - "Pristine"
1997 H-D Sportster

Offline blupinto

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Re: Disties for dummies...
« Reply #8 on: February 03, 2010, 03:48:27 PM »
Well, you had me scared there... ;)
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Offline dga57

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Re: Disties for dummies...
« Reply #9 on: February 04, 2010, 12:11:06 AM »
Congratulation s - sounds like a job well done!

Dwayne :smile:
Pinto Car Club of America - Serving the Ford Pinto enthusiast since 1999.