HOW TO: Replace Distributor O Ring

[Brian894X4]

If I remember correctly, some people hook up their ARB air lines to the distributors to pump them full of air pressure to further prevent water from getting inside. Interesting trick.

Also, a lot of distributor caps have a vent tube in them anyway, even if you plug up the distributor vent holes, so maybe it's still venting through the cap. I can't remember if ours has that cap vent or not. I know other Toyota caps do, though.

The Toyota 22RE caps actually have a rubber boot that covers the entire cap to help prevent water from getting inside. I lost that boot a long time ago and used to get water in there all the time when washing the engine. Once I siliconed the cap gasket, never had a problem since.

This thread has got me thinking about our distributors. I'll probably think about siliconing the distributor cap, maybe think about sealing off the distributor holes or running a vent line. Not that I do water crossings, but I do like a clean motor without the hassle of getting water in the distributor. Also, you never know when a 1 foot deep water crossing turns out to be something much worse. Or if crossing water may be your only way out. Nothing like having an engine die in the middle of a water crossing.

 

[wxm]

If I remember correctly, some people hook up their ARB air lines to the distributors to pump them full of air pressure to further prevent water from getting inside. Interesting trick.

Also, a lot of distributor caps have a vent tube in them anyway, even if you plug up the distributor vent holes, so maybe it's still venting through the cap. I can't remember if ours has that cap vent or not. I know other Toyota caps do, though.

The Toyota 22RE caps actually have a rubber boot that covers the entire cap to help prevent water from getting inside. I lost that boot a long time ago and used to get water in there all the time when washing the engine. Once I siliconed the cap gasket, never had a problem since.

This thread has got me thinking about our distributors. I'll probably think about siliconing the distributor cap, maybe think about sealing off the distributor holes or running a vent line. Not that I do water crossings, but I do like a clean motor without the hassle of getting water in the distributor. Also, you never know when a 1 foot deep water crossing turns out to be something much worse. Or if crossing water may be your only way out. Nothing like having an engine die in the middle of a water crossing.

Agree. It can probably be as simple as a valve mechanism. Put one line on the top and another at the bottom. The bottom one is a valve with a floater at bottom and a steel marble on the top. In normal case, the weight of the marble will keep the valve open, hence provides breathing airflow. When in the water, the floater will push the steel marble up and close up the vent... Just my imagination.

Of course the regular breathing technique like the one used on the starter IIRC should work just fine. We are talking about the situation that a good part of the truck is way in the water, I assume there are a lot components to worry about than just the distributor. Fortunately, for most of us (me included), it is probably never needed.

 

[badmuthatrucka]

Good writeup! IIRC from my HG work, the more important indexing mark would be on the area where the adjusting bolt goes, to make sure you get it back in the same place for proper timing.

 

[tblume]

"Also, you never know when a 1 foot deep water crossing turns out to be something much worse. Or if crossing water may be your only way out. Nothing like having an engine die in the middle of a water crossing."

or when you bomb a puddle and get mud in your eye

YouTube - 1 09 023

carnage courtesy of ebag333, he limped home and fought wet dizzy syndrome for a couple days

 

[Ebag333]

carnage courtesy of ebag333, he limped home and fought wet dizzy syndrome for a couple days

Actually the dizzy happened pretty much right after the third time (yeah, I was stupid that day, wanna make something of it? ) I bombed through the "puddle".

The issue I fought the next day was water in the spark plug cylinder. That was due to the boot on #1 not being sealed all the way, thanks to the last person who looked at it (sometime in the PO's life) not getting it down all the way, one side was resting on top of one of the cables, providing a small gap for a bit of water to get into.

Popped the boot, blew it out with air, popped it back on, and all was good.



Back on topic though, it takes actually a surprisingly little amount of water to have a negative effect on the dizzy. Another guy who went had a bit of rough idle after going through some puddles (nowhere near as deep as the one in the video), and when we popped his distributor cap it was clear that there was water in there.

My overkill plan is to run a vent line from the cab into the upper vent hole in the dizzy, and then another line from the drain hole at the bottom into the air intake. The goal being that between the cab being slightly pressurized, and the vacuum from the intake, air will move through there, and should any water get inside it, it *SHOULD* get sucked out.

Plan B is to just run the bottom vent hole to a filter ala what folks do with their breather extensions. Much simpler, but not as overkill (and thus not as fun ).

Anyway you do it, whether it's just a simple breather extension, pressurizing the dizzy, or running it into the air intake, definitely do something. The belts fling water right up into the dizzy, so a fairly shallow crossing can stop you dead.

The third time I bombed through the puddle I felt the engine catch towards the end, fortunately it didn't die on me, but that was enough to bump the dizzy breather mod way up on my list.

 

[redcard]

Hello,

Do you have the part number of the oring?

 

[BenMara]

90099-14118

ToyoDIY.com
is ur friend

 

[redcard]

got it thank you BenMara.

 

[94SRUNNER]

Sorry for reviving this older thread...

By following this process step by step, re-timing the engine is not necessary? Is this correct?

I just want to be sure.

Thanks dixie_cragger for nice write up

 

[concretejungle]

Hey guys, digging this thread back up.

I might have screwed up here by not following the steps correctly. I was replacing power steering hoses and felt now was a good time to replace the O-ring..... so, without setting the motor to top dead center, i simply marked the distributor to the head and then pulled it out. Replaced the o-ring and slid it back in.

Here is where i screwed up, i didn't pay attention to the orientation of the rotor, i didn't align the gear and the mark on the distributor. So now, i put it back in and my timing is WAY off. Truck is running like crap.

So, what should i do? I'm guessing get the crank to TDC, pull the distributor out and align the gear and mark, make sure the rotor is pointing in the 10-11oclock position and slide it in? Then check the timing?

Thanks for your help.

 

[medtro]

Crank pulley to "0" mark, remove and reinstall distributor. Make sure rotor points to #1 position after install.

If the engine doesn't run smooth or start, remove the distributor cap, crank the pulley to "0" mark by watching the rotor position, you want to stop at the "0" mark where the rotor is not pointing at #1 position. Remove and reinstall distributor. Make sure rotor points to #1 position after install.

 

[concretejungle]

Thanks man! I will do that and report back.

 

[CowboyUp]

This may be a pretty simple job for most of you mud folks but since I was doing it, I thought I'd take the time to do a write up with pics that might help some other 1/2 - 1 wrenchers like me. Guys that have done this, if there is something you see and should be added or should have been done differently, post up so i can correct it! This probably took me less than an hour including the time to take pics for the writeup!

If you have some minor oil leaking between your distributor and the valve cover, the distributor O ring is likely your culprit. Here are some pics of what a leaky distributor O ring would look like on your truck.

Thank you for the info ! Is looking like I need on my cruiser to do the same very soon!

 

[Roxx]

Hey guys, For some reason my distributor does not want to come out of the block. has anybody have this problem?. All screws are out but the thing does not move in any direction. Any suggestion

 

[nuclearlemon]

don't know, but i'll find out tomorrow if mine will come out i'm doing the oring, rebuilt injectors, new fuel filter, new fuel sock, and cleaning up the intake and egr passages.

 

[gwunsch]

Roxx,
There is also a 12mm bolt holding the distributor to the engine, just curious if you removed that as well. I am assuming the screws are the distributor cap screws only. if you did remove the bolt going to the engine then I am not sure why it did not come out. hope that helps.

 

[azTony]

Man!! I wish my distributor was that clean!! Holes?!?! Mine was too dirty to see holes. The O ring was flat and hard as a rock and broke into many pieces when I tried taking it out.

I got some cleaning to do and then fix the oil pump cover leak (that is tomorrow).

 

[Roxx]

distributor

I got that one too. I am getting frustated and going to break it if i keep pulling on this thing!!!

Roxx,
There is also a 12mm bolt holding the distributor to the engine, just curious if you removed that as well. I am assuming the screws are the distributor cap screws only. if you did remove the bolt going to the engine then I am not sure why it did not come out. hope that helps.

 

[azTony]

If you have the bolt completely out (bolt to the block, not the screws for the distributor cap), can you rotate the distributor? Mine was a little tough to pull out which seemed like the tight tolerance of the shaft to hole but with a little work of wiggling it came right out.

Good luck and let us know if you find out why it would not come out.

 

[nuclearlemon]

just did mine. once the 12mm bolt was out, the dizzy walked right out. as mentioned, see if you can rotate the housing. did someone at some point silicone the dizzy in?