[gold bird]

can of pb blaster worked for me . =)

[sleepy]

Originally Posted by Grand73Am

QuickSilver, Thanks for letting me know what's actually under the base of that Olds distributor! Saved me from trying to cut under it any more.

I haven't gotten it loose yet, but I'll keep beating on the base with my brass drift and soaking it. I tried cranking the engine over, but it didn't push it out.

RobbMc, thanks for mentioning the "freeze" option. I think I will give that a try as well. I think I'll get 2 cans .

72pontiac, thanks for the name of the "freeze off". I see that NAPA has it so it won't be hard to get some.

I'm sure I'll get it loose eventually with all this great advice. I'll keep you posted. Thanks everybody!

Be careful using that stuff. When you freeze metal that cold it WILL be brittle. Even light impacts can fracture the metal esp. cast aluminum.

[goatwgn]

When you do get it out, the oil pump drive shaft will likely be stuck on the end of it as well. These engines use a hex drive. Just clean everything up real good before reinstalling, and use vaseline on the o ring,as well as the drive gear.

[Grand73Am]

Thanks for the advice. The latest news is that the distributor is still stuck. I continue to tap on it and soak it with PBblaster. I have some Kroil I can use too.

I tried the CRC Freeze-off spray in a can from NAPA, and I like the concept, which is to freeze the metal while also applying penetrant, so the metal is supposed to contract so the penetrant gets in. But it didn't really freeze, and didn't get cold enough to make much difference.

I like the idea of freezing though. So, I have a tank of r134a and I hooked it up with an a/c hose and sprayed it directly on the base of the distributor. That produced some excellent freezing, with some frost. I've done that a couple times so far, and will continue to try it, as well as the soaking in penetrant.

I'll continue this every day until it works. This is just a project car that I'm playing with, so I don't have to rush it. More to come.

[JSchmitz]

I just went through this. I worked on a '63 bonneville for a buddy at work. I put an HEI in it for him. The original distributor was stuck bad. I could barely turn it with a big wrench. I finally used a rolling head bar and different length sockets to pry it out. I set the socket on the block, to supprt the head of the bar, and pryed up on the square part of the distributor. I had to change to a longer socket as it came up. I posted a pic of a set of rolling head bars. It was a fight! Good luck.

[Grand73Am]

Thanks for the picture, cause I wouldn't have known what a rolling head bar was . I can see how you can get some leverage that way. I may use some variation of your technique.

I'd be happy if it would "barely turn" with my big wrench, since it's not budging yet. Thanks for posting what worked for you. Very helpful!

[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by goatwgn

Oldsmobile distributors have a square section near the base that you can put a wrench on. Try using a wrench to turn this back and forth

Pretty much all GM distributors have this square section.





Penetrating oil is a waste of your time. I don't care what brand you have, WD40, Kroil, PB Blaster, etc.--pointless in this application.

[Grand73Am]

I appreciate your thoughts. You may not have noticed, but I have been using my big wrench on the square part of the stem throughout this process and it hasn't budged. I've not only been pulling and pushing the wrench, but also striking the wrench handle with a hammer in hopes of jarring it loose. That alone has not been sufficient. I'm using a good bit of force, short of force that might break it. The use of penetrating oil and heat and cold and pounding on the base have been all attempts to get it turn with the wrench, even just a little bit, but no luck so far. If a wrench is the only method, I'm afraid it's stuck for good .

[majorxlr8n1]

Call me nuts for suggesting this. What about wrapping a chain around the distributor and using an engine crane to put some l-i-g-h-t upward force on the distributor? Then try to turn it with the wrench or provide some taps with the old BFH?

[Grand73Am]

Funny you should say that, since I was looking at it this morning and thinking about using a chain to pull on it. But I was thinking of using a sliding hammer. I like your idea of using the engine hoist better. Thanks for the idea!

That's why I posted my problem here, since there are probably more knowledgeable people with great engine advice here than anywhere.

[mnfatcat]

I've been where you're at, it is a huge task. I'd hold off trying to pull it until you get it to turn. What I ended up with was a wrench on the square 1" boss AND a huge waterpump pliers on the top of the housing. My episode was on an engine stand, in the car will be a bigger bitch to conquer, but it can be done. Take the hood off, you'll need 2 guys to do the task and to really get some muscle into it you need the room. You will scar the housing doing this, but it is what it is, it ain't easy, good luck.

[70&71 TRANSAM OWNER]

after spending hrs with prybars crc etc I have had to use an engine puller and chain to remove dist before,, I even have had the front end of the car off the ground just hooked under the dist, but it did let go,, Just no core to give back to the parts place.
Bruce

[Sun Tuned]

The engine hoist deal is not gonna cut it.

There is no way to pull 180 degrees opposite the angle the dist is in the block. without doing that you will be fighting a losing battle.

trying to use a wrench is good, but.... be very careful, if you are too exuberant as I was at a salvage yard once, the housing will break off. I won't tell you how far I travelled off the fender of the car I was perched on, when it did let go, or how many hours the 2 guys I was with spent laughing at me, but you will remember that I told you it will break with enough juevos and old fashioned grunt power behind it. All I had was a wrench.

Best way is with a wrench and an oil filter strap type wrench at the same time. I applaud the effort of the freeze, but that usually only works if limited to only the dist housing itself, which is hard to do. If you have access to oxy/acetylene I have had best luck with heating the block area around the dist hole and try to stay about a 3/8" distance from the dist collar base and just spend some time heating the block, then shoot some pblaster around the hole base and usually the heat will cause the penetrant to be sucked into the hole on its own. Then put the wrenches on there before it cools completely down and try to get it to break loose. If you do shoot some more penetrant in there and try to get it where you can turn the deal fairly easy. DO NOT try to pull it out or up just yet as it may come up about 1/4 inch and then it'll get real tough again. When it gets rough to turn more penetrant. If you ever get it where it'll turn you will be able to reach a point where you can get that collar say .030 or so up off the block, then you're home free. Lose the penetrating oil and switch to some carb cleaner. Berrymans does very well and hose it down. Work it back and forth adding plenty of cleaner trying to keep this deal soaked at all times it will cut the sludge and after a few minutes it'll come right on out.

Best of luck.

[Grand73Am]

Great personal stories you guys!

That gives me some more things to try. I'll go ahead and remove the hood. I do have an oxy/acetylene torch, so I could try that strategy. I'll have to keep the flame away from the dist housing so I don't melt it.

Who knew there were so many ways to remove a stuck dizzy?

If nothing else, this will be a great thread to refer other people to when they have a stuck dizzy .

Thanks for everyone's help!

[Sun Tuned]

Forgot to mention the best strap type wrench is the one with the nylon strap like the tie down straps are made of. Won't mar up the dist. If no got one of those a regular oil filter wrench will do, just wrap a shop rag or tape around the housing rim to keep from messing up the finish of the housing. And yes it will be much easier to remove the vac advance can also.

A wrench, plus the strap wrench will allow mucho leverage than just the regular wrench alone. Try to favor the strap wrench a tad more than the regular open end one but just slightly. It'll come outta there.

[Grand73Am]

Thanks. I removed the vac advance a couple days ago. I haven't seen a strap type oil filter wrench before, but I can see how that would be better.
I tried my oxy/acetylene torch and heated the iron around the base good and squirted it, and wrenched it, but no luck yet.
I'll keep trying things a little while longer, since it's become a bit of a challenge.
This is not a car that I need to have running right away, so I have time to try some things. But, I do want to be able to put it running again, so I can move it around. So, I'm not going to try something that might break off the distributor housing. I would save that option for when the engine is out of the car, so I could do something about it if it does break. Thanks again.

[stimpy]

just had one of these sunday , I took a hammer and drift and drove it down first ( a bunch of medium taps with the hammer going around the base , don't hit it as hard to dent it ) to try to break the carbon& sludge/mechanical bond off the bottom and then pulled it up, it came up just enough to get the straw from the carb cleaner in there and a good squirt , kept the in and out twisting motion with a squirt every now and then and finally it popped loose , the bottom was carbon locked in the block and the aluminum shaft was fuzzy ( tom v's answer why it was stuck ) . it took about 2 hours to get it out of the hole . good luck .

[Ollie]

Didn't see it mentioned in any of the posts. Is the intake manifold removed? Might give more room to work, Just a thought.

[Grand73Am]

Originally Posted by stimpy

just had one of these sunday , I took a hammer and drift and drove it down first ( a bunch of medium taps with the hammer going around the base , don't hit it as hard to dent it ) to try to break the carbon& sludge/mechanical bond off the bottom and then pulled it up, it came up just enough to get the straw from the carb cleaner in there and a good squirt , kept the in and out twisting motion with a squirt every now and then and finally it popped loose , the bottom was carbon locked in the block and the aluminum shaft was fuzzy ( tom v's answer why it was stuck ) . it took about 2 hours to get it out of the hole . good luck .

Thanks. One of the first things I tried was my hammer and 3/4" diameter brass drift, and did similar to what you did....although I did hit it hard enough to dent it . But dizzy no move. If I can get some movement, I know I'll be able to gradually loosen it, but it's still being stubborn so far. Still trying things though.

[Grand73Am]

Originally Posted by Ollie

Didn't see it mentioned in any of the posts. Is the intake manifold removed? Might give more room to work, Just a thought.

That's a good thought, but the intake is not really in the way that much, so might as well leave it alone. I've removed everything else from around it, so I can get to it pretty well. With all the great advice and all I've done, any other distributor would have come loose by now . Thanks for mentioning it though.