WTF is breaking my distributors? (1 Viewer)

[cruiser88]

Most firestone places use autozone for their parts. being I used to work for them I know those pins are s***ty.
Replace the pin yourself if need be

 

[daveIT]

Might just be the pic, but that cam gear doesn't look too good to me.

Why, what do you see (or think you see)?

 

[nuclearlemon]

Sweet got it off...just needed to use my big boy muscles...do I need to replace the whole gasket or just scrape the sealant off the oil pan and shove it back on?
:

best way is to clean the entire gasket off and put on a new one, minus the permatex. only use what you need to keep the gasket in place.

 

[65swb45]

Probably the BEST piece of mind you will get out of this experience is that YOU will be the one reinstalling the distributor at this point. So YOU will be able to see...and feel...if there is any alignment-type issues with getting the dizzy to drop in smoothly, which could be a critical piece of information the Firestone guys 'neglected' to tell you.

It's hard to imagine even a s***ty hollow pin failing so quickly without there being an alignment issue. Failing pins are usually a symptom, not a root cause.

Now subscribed.

Best

Mark A.

 

[ntsqd]

Why, what do you see (or think you see)?

The teeth on the cam gear look like they're deformed or badly worn. They should look a lot like the teeth on the dizzy gear in shape and surface finish (minus the odd burrs).

 

[Trollhole]

Do me a favor. Put the oil pump back in. And install the dizzy back in without the gear and spin the dizzy with your hand and tell me is it binds or not.

 

[Trollhole]

Also this is what a stock gear should look like. Those are some s***ty pins you have in that dizzy. Certainly look thin. I'd be going back to firestone and get my original dizzy.

 

[cruiser88]

he cannot, his old was used as a trade in......core

Also this is what a stock gear should look like. Those are some s***ty pins you have in that dizzy. Certainly look thin. I'd be going back to firestone and get my original dizzy.

 

[Emeeks]

Are the folks at Firestone installing them wrong or something?

I had the ignition coil go bad and replaced the dizzy. A couple weeks later it broke the shear pin (messing up the timing so it would only idle at like 500RPM) and they replaced it under warranty.

Today, it broke again (I was going down hwy and it lost power...I coasted to side of road and it died and wouldn't restart...and I got to walk home 2 miles (uphill in the rain...really!!) since I forgot my cell phone.

Any way, the guys at Firestone said they didn't see anything wrong with what they could see of cam and they said the oil pump was functioning normally.

So, what's grenading my distributors...something internal to the engine?

I don't want to stuff a crate V8 in this beeotch, but I might have to....I guess I'll hold on to my 89 pickup for awhile!

Here's my awesome picture of the day...glad I pay that $1 a month for towing coverage...

I know a good Cruiser shop in Englewood. You've probably heard of them .. Rocky Mt Cruisers. They have done some work for me. Give Steven a call and ask him if he has ever seen this. I had some bad experiences with Firestone in the past not on my rig but with another vehicle. I would try to find someone that know's more about Cruiser's if I were you.
Import Auto Technicians has done some work on mine too and they might be worth a try. Just my two cents.
Good luck !

 

[daveIT]

Mo' carnage!

So I flipped the oil pump upside down to get at the screws to take it apart and out falls this chunk...I think I may have found my issue...

First pic is the chunk that fell out out of the shaft

Second is looking down that shaft...looks like 2 pieces...the one that fell out and one similar that the dizzy shaft slips down into. Kinda hard to see in pic, couldn't get lighting right in my garage.

I'm gonna order a new oil pump and a gasket put humpty dumpty back together again...

Wonder what broke this? Fatigue? You guys seen anything like it before?

 

[Mark W]

Busted tip of the oil pump shaft? That could definitely have jammed things up.

I have never seen this. Hard to figure how it would have broken.

Did you take the pump apart? How did it look inside?


Mark...

 

[daveIT]

Busted tip of the oil pump shaft? That could definitely have jammed things up.

I have never seen this. Hard to figure how it would have broken.

Did you take the pump apart? How did it look inside?


Mark...

Yeah, weird, eh? Glad to be making Cruiser history...

Haven't opened it up yet...tried to get it open with screwdriver, but the screws are really tight and I didn't want to strip anything. I was going to try some more, but then I remembered I had a Rogue Chocolate Stout calling my name in the fridge...

 

[daveIT]

This crap remanufactured dizzy (of course) doesn't have the o-ring. What should you use to seal it up from water?

 

[cruiser88]

whats the diameter? Autozone along with a few others does sell dizzy o-rings in their help isle.

This crap remanufactured dizzy (of course) doesn't have the o-ring. What should you use to seal it up from water?

 

[Trollhole]

I'd use a used good stock dizzy to seal it up. And I wouldn't worry about opening up the oil pump your planning on replacing with a new stock unit.

Do me a favor are there any hammer mark on the sides or top of the dizzy. Like where the rotor button resides. Sounds like they couldn't get it to seat so they hammered it in. Did you ask them to replace the dizzy or did they?

 

[cruiser88]

Does Toyots even still make that sucker? I know I need one for my rig.

I'd use a used good stock dizzy to seal it up. And I wouldn't worry about opening up the oil pump your planning on replacing with a new stock unit.

Do me a favor are there any hammer mark on the sides or top of the dizzy. Like where the rotor button resides. Sounds like they couldn't get it to seat so they hammered it in. Did you ask them to replace the dizzy or did they?

 

[daveIT]

Wow, I finally figured out how to multi-quote....thank you Rogue Chocolate Stout!!!

whats the diameter? Autozone along with a few others does sell dizzy o-rings in their help isle.

Cool, I'll check that out. Non-OEM stuff sucks!

I'd use a used good stock dizzy to seal it up. And I wouldn't worry about opening up the oil pump your planning on replacing with a new stock unit.

Do me a favor are there any hammer mark on the sides or top of the dizzy. Like where the rotor button resides. Sounds like they couldn't get it to seat so they hammered it in. Did you ask them to replace the dizzy or did they?

I didn't see any hammer marks. They replaced the dizzy (told me it was bad along with the ignition coil). They replaced dizzy 2nd time under warranty.

I've pm'd cruiserdan for a new oil pump & gasket...what do those run?

I'm taking my distributor and oil pump by Firestone tomorrow to ask their "ASE technician" why he didn't drop the oil pan and check the oil pump after the first distributor he installed broke the same exact way. Seems like an "expert" might know to check that. I mean, my dumb 1 ass figured it out... That really frustrates me

 

[cruiser88]

lol, yea I know but in a pinch

Wow, I finally figured out how to multi-quote....thank you Rogue Chocolate Stout!!!



Cool, I'll check that out. Non-OEM stuff sucks!



I didn't see any hammer marks. They replaced the dizzy (told me it was bad along with the ignition coil). They replaced dizzy 2nd time under warranty.

I've pm'd cruiserdan for a new oil pump & gasket...what do those run?

I'm taking my distributor and oil pump by Firestone tomorrow to ask their "ASE technician" why he didn't drop the oil pan and check the oil pump after the first distributor he installed broke the same exact way. Seems like an "expert" might know to check that. I mean, my dumb 1 ass figured it out... That really frustrates me

 

[Mark W]

ASE certification and 65 cents will get you a doughnut.

Mark...

 

[doug720]

ASE certification and 65 cents will get you a doughnut.

Mark...

A doughnut costs $1.00 around here... ASE must be better paid. LOL