Removing Distributor Pin

[Robatron]

Does anybody have any advice on removing the distributor pin?

My mechanic currently has the car sat in his workshop and has told me that its a PITA to remove.

So are there any techniques I should advise him of?

[mcandmar]

Use a bench press to push it out, or a bench drill, just use a piece of rod instead of a drill bit.

[Acidburn]

When I did mine with a mate, the bentley manual says to cut the smaller end off and punch it out, we angle ground it off (quicker and better finish) then knocked it out, took the sleeve off (from the plastic gear) and put the new one on, then put the pin back in with some loctite.

[Robatron]

Apparently the drive gear is an Iron one?! Not the plastic gear I thought it would be....

[Robatron]

So this pin isn't moving at all...

We had it in a V block and attempted to drive the pin out but it will not budge at all. The guys at the garage who are doing the work for me attempted to hammer it out, this means the edges are flattening either side.

So its looking like a new Pin is needed, so I either need to get one machined up for me or buy one from somewhere. Failing that it may just piss me off enough to buy a new distributor...

Not happy

[Acidburn]

So this pin isn't moving at all...

We had it in a V block and attempted to drive the pin out but it will not budge at all. The guys at the garage who are doing the work for me attempted to hammer it out, this means the edges are flattening either side.

So its looking like a new Pin is needed, so I either need to get one machined up for me or buy one from somewhere. Failing that it may just piss me off enough to buy a new distributor...

Not happy

Yeah the pin will be metal/iron. Did you grind/cut off one end of it smooth with the barrel? If you've done that then its very easy to knock out with a punch and means you can re-use then pin no problem.

[Robatron]

Unfortunately the garage carrying out the work decided to give it a hefty whack with a hammer and centre punchand ******ed it.

[Acidburn]

Unfortunately the garage carrying out the work decided to give it a hefty whack with a hammer and centre punchand ******ed it.

Is that after they had ground off the end or before, if its before and they've only flattened the end of the pin then just tell them to grind it flat and then knock it thru so you've still got 3/4 of the pin to use.

[Robatron]

Well when the guy smacked it with a hammer, it rippled all the way through the roll pin which meant we could only get it out by drilling the bloody thing.

So now I have two problems, I need to source a roll pin from somewhere as nobody seems willing to machine one for me, and I need to find some shimms from somewhere as there is 13 thou of movement and I need it down to 2-5 thou...

Any ideas?

[Acidburn]

Well when the guy smacked it with a hammer, it rippled all the way through the roll pin which meant we could only get it out by drilling the bloody thing.

So now I have two problems, I need to source a roll pin from somewhere as nobody seems willing to machine one for me, and I need to find some shimms from somewhere as there is 13 thou of movement and I need it down to 2-5 thou...

Any ideas?

Most machine shops/spares shops should be able to sort a pin out, the bentley manual had a comment about shims, I will have a look later and post up it said how you can sort that. I did not need to use/make any shims for mine so seems a bit wierd you do.

[Robatron]

Yeah it is abit odd to be honest! We measured the end play and it was nearly 3 times more than it should have been which could have caused a few issues and is probably one of the mani reasons that the metal gear already fitted was worn and slightly damaged. (The metal gear on the dizzy was there from new apparently!).

We managed to have a piece of steel machined up and it was 6 thou thick so it is now spaced pretty nicely and there is hardly any end play.

I just popped the distributor back over to the garage so by Monday I should be back in business!

[Acidburn]

Hopefully bet your missing it.

[spink]

I am pretty sure Dan_b put one of the copied gears off ebay on his car a couple of years ago.

For future reference a 4mm Ø roll pin does the job fine.

[dan_b]

I got the aforementioned metal gear (along with new dizzie cap and all that guff), but to my shame, never got round to removing and replacing it as getting to the dizzie was such a PITA.

[Robatron]

So I just phoned up the mechanic to hear that the dizzy is now sitting in the car, everything has been put back together and was ready to go.

BUT....there is no spark. Any ideas? I'm sure he will get to the bottom of it but if anyone has some past experience then that would be handy as I could phone him up and let him know.