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05-26-2011, 11:15 AM | #1 |
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: melting in Florida
Posts: 26
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Distributor not spinning.. help
Hey gang, I've been driving my '31 coupe from Atlanta to Tampa and all was going well until the car sputtered to a stop unexpectedly yesterday. A quick inspection revealed that the distributor was not turning, at all. I pulled the distributor on the roadside and the dizzy itself spins fine, not frozen up, however the drive in the bottom of the motor was not turning when we would turn the motor over ( I was looking in from the top with a flash light.) As I tear the car down to remove the side cover, what should I be looking for in the lower end?? Any help would be appreciated, Im in a garage I can work in but would love to be able to drive the car home if at all possible.
-Scott |
05-26-2011, 11:20 AM | #2 |
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Fleetwood, PA
Posts: 420
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Re: Distributor not spinning.. help
Sounds like it may be a broken timing gear.
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05-26-2011, 11:24 AM | #3 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Fleetwood, PA
Posts: 420
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Re: Distributor not spinning.. help
If it is the timing gear, your cam and valves will not work while you turn the engine. You can check by removing the side timing cover. All it takes is a few missing teeth.
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05-26-2011, 11:25 AM | #4 |
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: ⓉⒺXⒶⓈ
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Re: Distributor not spinning.. help
Pull the side cover. There is a gear drive at the bottom of the distributor shaft. Sometimes the pin sheers off, or the tab breaks. If it a pin, you might be able to limp it along back home by using a nail or something to pin it back together. Or someone may have a replacement.
It just lifts out. See what is broken on that item.
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05-26-2011, 11:41 AM | #5 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 264
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Re: Distributor not spinning.. help
just a guess. maybe the cam gear is broken or stripped. open the side cam gear cover and turn the engine and watch if it turns
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05-26-2011, 12:59 PM | #6 |
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: on the Littlefield
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Re: Distributor not spinning.. help
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Last edited by Kurt in NJ; 05-26-2011 at 01:00 PM. Reason: spleng |
05-26-2011, 01:41 PM | #7 |
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: melting in Florida
Posts: 26
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Re: Distributor not spinning.. help
Thanks for the input guys i never thought about the timing gear but it does make perfect sense. I'll dig into that and report back. Thanks so much everybody!!
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05-26-2011, 02:21 PM | #8 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Jordan, MN
Posts: 1,411
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Re: Distributor not spinning.. help
Insert your timing pin in the pin hole. You will be able to feel if the timing gear is turning.
Good Luck! Dave in MN |
05-27-2011, 06:04 PM | #9 |
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: melting in Florida
Posts: 26
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Re: Distributor not spinning.. help
Well fellas, it turned out that the fiber timing gear was half stripped. I trailered the car home and ordered the parts today. Hope to get everything buttoned up by next weekend depending on how long shipping the parts takes.
Thanks to everyone who gave advice. It really means a lot! |
05-27-2011, 06:33 PM | #10 |
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Wichita, Kansas
Posts: 710
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Re: Distributor not spinning.. help
That happened to me on the Kansas Turnpike on the way to a Regional in Des Moines a few years ago. The guy in front towed me off (really upset the toll booth lady). It was cool and rainy but found an awning in front of a Holiday Inn. They were kind and let us change it out. Took about an hour. The one that failed was a swap meet item that looked good. Henry Ford called them gyp parts.
Hope you get yours changed. You might want to change oil because the pieces are in the pan. |
05-28-2011, 04:16 AM | #11 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Vici,Okla.
Posts: 256
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Re: Distributor not spinning.. help
by all means drop the pan an wash the pieces out so fiber doesnt get in the oil ports an plug them.
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