Distributor Oil leak: Still leaking after Replacing distributor O-ring. Any ideas?

[Kernal]

Twice in the past I picked up lower mileage used Distributors to replace
two with higher miles. Working fine. But then with the relatively low price of an aftermarket Dizzy along with a lifetime warranty, the difference in price might be worth it.

 

[ScubaSteve80]

@ScubaSteve205 - you really want to drop the $180?

I’d be hitting up any of the 80 breakers for a used on like @arcteryx or that guy who’s in the SW (maybe AL?) - I’m having a senior moment but do you know who I mean?

Either of them would be worth a PM to at least see what’s what IMO.

Or if you’re handy & enjoy work like this, @Kernal ’s way too.
I have cut gaskets from all sorts of material in a prior job/have tools at home, so to me doing a DIY / R&R is worth thinking too.

Well I would rather not spend the $180 on an after market distributor but rebuilding it sounds like it would be a gamble on if I could do it correctly. It's also a gamble if this aftermarket distributor will be a good long term solution... So I really think I am leaning towards trying this aftermarket distributor and seeing what happens. I haven't tried looking for a looking for a used one. I might give that a shot.

 

[ScubaSteve80]

If you have a small gear puller you can pull the pinion gear off the shaft,
then tap the pointy end of the shaft with a brass mallet and that will push
the shaft and out the wide end. Then knock the seal and bearing out using
a narrow punch and find replacement parts, but that's the hard part.

The difference with the original seal design compared to most you can find off the shelf is that it has a metal shield on the side facing the engine where burnt crusty oil can accumulate. The idea is to keep that debris away from the inner seal lips that ride on the shaft, and there are three lips, most seals have one
or two. That seal is not available from any source (after trying for a few months).

The bearing is a standard size but also a unique design deep groove bearing, it is open on the dirty side with the balls being held in a high temp plastic cage, then a standard seal on the clean side. Something similar can be found for that.

So it is possible to rebuild our distributors, but maybe easier to buy
a replacement, aftermarket or OEM.
FWIW.

Thanks for the info!I think I am leaning towards buying an aftermarket and just seeing how it goes. The only question now is, which aftermarket distributor is a good option.

 

[ScubaSteve80]

Twice in the past I picked up lower mileage used Distributors to replace
two with higher miles. Working fine. But then with the relatively low price of an aftermarket Dizzy along with a lifetime warranty, the difference in price might be worth it.

Yeah that's what I'm thinking.

 

[ScubaSteve80]

Ok so I found a distributor. I have a 1995 but the distributor I found came out of a 1996. Super novice question, but the 96 will work in the 95 right?

I'm about 99% sure it will but just want to double check. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[nukegoat]

Ok so I found a distributor. I have a 1995 but the distributor I found came out of a 1996. Super novice question, but the 96 will work in the 95 right?

I'm about 99% sure it will but just want to double check. Thanks for the help guys.

Yes

 

[Kernal]

How many miles on the used distributor and how does it look inside?

 

[LINUS]

Any mid-‘95 thru ‘97 distributor (maybe the early 1FZ’s fit too - I’m only versed in late/OBD2 FZJ80’s) fits.

Exact same motor between the FZJ80 platform in the late LC’s & LX450.

If anybody has a low-miled dist, it’s prob going to scratch that itch.

 

[ScubaSteve80]

How many miles on the used distributor and how does it look inside?

It's coming off an LC that had 151k on it. I haven't seen the inside. The guy only wants $50 for it so I figure I will take the gamble.

 

[ScubaSteve80]

Any mid-‘95 thru ‘97 distributor (maybe the early 1FZ’s fit too - I’m only versed in late/OBD2 FZJ80’s) fits.

Exact same motor between the FZJ80 platform in the late LC’s & LX450.

If anybody has a low-miled dist, it’s prob going to scratch that itch.

Good deal. Thanks for the information.

 

[OGBeno]

All US-market 1FZ distributors are the same, ergo, all of them will work in this situation.

 

[ScubaSteve80]

All US-market 1FZ distributors are the same, ergo, all of them will work in this situation.

That's what I figured. Just wanted to double check! Thanks for the information.

 

[Kernal]

If you clean out the inside of the distributor do not use Carb or Brake cleaner,
those strong solvents can damage the seals of the rotor shaft bearing and seal if they get to those areas. CRC Quick Dry electronics cleaner is safer.

 

[ScubaSteve80]

If you clean out the inside of the distributor do not use Carb or Brake cleaner,
those strong solvents can damage the seals of the rotor shaft bearing and seal if they get to those areas. CRC Quick Dry electronics cleaner is safer.

Got it. Thanks!

 

[Tools R Us]

All US-market 1FZ distributors are the same, ergo, all of them will work in this situation.

Functionally the same, any will work. Sometime in '97 production, the dumb, upper breather hole went away, bonus, don't have to plug it.

 

[NMC_EXP]

If you need to replace an o-ring in any application if at all possible use the manufacturer's part. Next best thing is find out the actual "dash size" of the o-ring.

It's next to impossible to measure an o-ring accurately using contact devices like a caliper or mic because the rubber moves. Plus if you are measuring a used part it may have swollen or shrank in service.

A typical o-ring seal joint design will compress the o-ring cross section 20%. One common o-ring cross section diameter is .103". And 20% of .103" = .021" so there is not much room for error and still have a reliable seal.

An o-ring that is too large on either cross section or inside diameter may seal at first but the high strain caused by having 10 lb of stuff in a 5 lb bag may cause the o-ring to split later on.

You can get away with eyeballing a used o-ring and picking a replacement out of a box but it is a crapshoot. On my job we had a $200K 2-axis, non-contact coordinate measuring machine used for nothing but o-rings.

The other thing to remember is the o-ring is only 1/3 of the seal joint. There are two metal parts involved and if they are out of flat or not parallel it does not take much to use up a chunk of that .021" squeeze on the o-ring.

When installing an o-ring on a shaft do not "roll" it down the shaft like putting a rubber band on a roll of paper. If the o-ring gets spiraled when installed it is just a matter of time before it splits.

If you pick the wrong type of rubber the o-ring will fail - get hard as a rock, or get soft/dissolve, or swell up to double size....etc.

Here is an AS568 o-ring size chart.

AS568 O-Ring Size Chart - Marco Rubber

Interactive standard o-ring size chart to find Parker and AS568 o-ring size dimensions. Order Online millions of o-ring sizes are in-stock

www.marcorubber.com

Japan uses a JIS o-ring standard.

Japanese JIS O-Ring Sizes | Japanese JIS O-Ring Size Chart

www.allorings.com

 

[ScubaSteve80]

If you need to replace an o-ring in any application if at all possible use the manufacturer's part. Next best thing is find out the actual "dash size" of the o-ring.

It's next to impossible to measure an o-ring accurately using contact devices like a caliper or mic because the rubber moves. Plus if you are measuring a used part it may have swollen or shrank in service.

A typical o-ring seal joint design will compress the o-ring cross section 20%. One common o-ring cross section diameter is .103". And 20% of .103" = .021" so there is not much room for error and still have a reliable seal.

An o-ring that is too large on either cross section or inside diameter may seal at first but the high strain caused by having 10 lb of stuff in a 5 lb bag may cause the o-ring to split later on.

You can get away with eyeballing a used o-ring and picking a replacement out of a box but it is a crapshoot. On my job we had a $200K 2-axis, non-contact coordinate measuring machine used for nothing but o-rings.

The other thing to remember is the o-ring is only 1/3 of the seal joint. There are two metal parts involved and if they are out of flat or not parallel it does not take much to use up a chunk of that .021" squeeze on the o-ring.

When installing an o-ring on a shaft do not "roll" it down the shaft like putting a rubber band on a roll of paper. If the o-ring gets spiraled when installed it is just a matter of time before it splits.

If you pick the wrong type of rubber the o-ring will fail - get hard as a rock, or get soft/dissolve, or swell up to double size....etc.

Here is an AS568 o-ring size chart.

AS568 O-Ring Size Chart - Marco Rubber

Interactive standard o-ring size chart to find Parker and AS568 o-ring size dimensions. Order Online millions of o-ring sizes are in-stock

www.marcorubber.com

Japan uses a JIS o-ring standard.

Japanese JIS O-Ring Sizes | Japanese JIS O-Ring Size Chart

www.allorings.com

Thanks for the information. I am planning on using the o-ring I just replaced in my current distributor that is leaking. I am going to reuse it. I got the o-ring from the manufacture.

 

[NMC_EXP]

All that I posted was "o-ring 101" general info rather than being specific to your situation. I spent the last few years of my career troubleshooting o-ring problems. Learned they are a deceptively simple piece of tech that can get you in trouble if everything is not as it should be.

They are a major warranty cost in new products for some completely avoidable reasons. Field replacement of o-rings has even more potential problems.