I just bought a 69 Camaro with the stock 350. The distributor is stuck in the block. I removed the hold down clamp and can not turn it or get it to move up at all. It looks like this engine has not hardly been touched (numbers matching) and the PO had it park in the garage since '96. I did get it running this weekend (yea!) but need to set the timing.

I tried to spray some PB Blaster penitrating oil but no luck. Any ideas? :confused:

Put the clamp back on and leave it loose. Remove the cap and bump it over a bit. See if it'll come out now. If not put the cap back on and run it (clamp still on loose) see if you can turn the dist body with it running...

How about a Strap Wrench? You know the ones that use a rubber strap to go around odd things?

The question is: Why would a distributor be stuck in the block that tightly?

If the owner never changed the oil, then a lot of "coked-up" oil will freeze the distributor into the block. I've seen some engines that I had to use a can and a half of carb cleaner on in order to get the dist. out. On one particularly abused motor, I ended up busting the distributor in half before it came out!! :eek:

Work it out with a strap wrench, and spray some carb cleaner down around it to try and disolve the coke that's holding it in.

Good luck!

If I had to guess I'd say its just the gasket that is causing it to stick. A couple light taps on the vac can with a hammer might just break it loose, but BE CAREFULL !!

Thanks for the suggestions. I think the strap wrench idea may work. More leverage is good.

I had a dist with a bent shaft that was hard to remove. I think the steel shaft put pressure on alum housing and made it tight in the block. when I got the fist out of the block you couldn't turn the shaft by hand...

I personally like the loosen it up and bump it over method. My experience has been that if things don't come apart easily - things like "more leverage" can do more harm than good. Bumping it over is a safer procedure IMHO than applying external force. Thrust bearings and such are ment to take force which is where the engine will be apply it.

(Did that make sense? :rolleyes: )

-dnult

What is it???

Murphy's Law say's ta just leave her loose and go tooling down the highway at about 70 or so mph AND I guarantee the sucker WILL POP loose AND take your motor OUT!!! pdq67

How about an oil filter wrench.

1. Take the clamp off completely
2. get a big long screwdriver
3. have a friend bump over the motor while you use the screwdriver to pry up on the dist
4. works every time :D
5. save the filter wrench for the oil filter ( you need up lift not side to side)

I haven't tried the "bump" method. I had tried to lever it up with a little preasure (didn't want to bend the shaft) and was able to move it about an 1/8". At that point, the housing would not turn. Said the heck with it and lightly tapped it back down (rubber mallet) but it still would not turn. Prior to lifting it the 1/8" I was able to turn it about a 1/4" with A LOT of effort.

I guess I'll try the bump method and see what happens. Thanks again. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

I had the same problem somebody jammed the dist.in hole or cam problem (teeth messed up on dist. and cam causing binding.I just pryed mine up with a 3 foot scew driver turn the motor by hand until it pop up and out. It took alittlte force thougth.

keep working it up and down and turning it each way a little at a time until it breaks loose. when you lift it up again, spray some carb cleaner or something around the base, then pund it back down to get the stuff down in there. move it around enough, and it should come loose eventually.