[Zooguy]

How do I advance/retard timing if the distributor is stuck in the block?

Here is a video with how it is right now.

https://youtu.be/cnrjy-5Eapc

[b-man]

You can’t really do anything until you free up the distributor.

Lots of penetrating oil and patience.

Once you do keep in mind the rotation of the distributor is counterclockwise, the opposite of the Chevys you’re used to working on.

[Schurkey]

Did you loosen the distributor hold-down?

If the hold-down bolt has been loosened, and the distributor won't turn, it's probably stuck with varnish from lack of oil changes. You can "try" penetrating oil, or solvents such as aerosol brake or carburetor cleaner. Good luck. The distributor is sealed with a gasket or an O-ring (depending on the engine family.) If engine oil can't get "out", the penetrant is unlikely to get "in". It'll make a lovely spot on the driveway where it drips off, though.

[25stevem]

Unfortunately on motors with the cast Aluminum body Distributors , when they are stuck real bad I have had to pull off the intake to get at that square wrench pad so as to not crack the housing.

The older cast iron body Distributors where a different story most times.
If and when you do get it out , put it back in with a good coat of high temp wheel bearing grease on its shank.

Before you go for getting it out I would pull all the spark plugs out, remove the cap and rock the balancer back & forth a good amount to see how much slop is in the timing chain.

If that all looks good then next you should confirm the TDC mark on your balancer when both valves on cylinder 1 are on the base circle of the cam.

The exh valve of number 6 should be open when you have number 1 at TDC.

[mgarblik]

If the OP is talking about his 66 389, it should have an iron distributor if original. As Steve said, they are much easier to deal with than aluminum. I have had decent luck using carburetor cleaner the same way as a PB blast or similar. Have to really hose it down. Give it some time and then try to turn dist body. Carb cleaner is very flammable, so be careful.

[Zooguy]

Soaked it last night and again this morning while I first got up after breakfast I went outside and tried to get it to turn at all and I got it to move counterclockwise just a few degrees but it won't go back the other direction. I even got a little propane torch and applied heat for several minutes with no luck. I think I'm going to have to pull the intake off so that way I can get more room.

The motor still runs so I didn't get the timing too far out of whack but it wants to backfire through the carburetor now.

With the vacuum hose hooked up on the distributor when the motor is idling this is where my timing mark is.

I'm strongly considering getting rid of the points system and running a MSD pro billet distributor and MSD box.... I ran those previously on race cars with great success. What is the general consensus here about upgrading to that stuff?

[25stevem]

Did you check for timing chain slop?
Not surprised it is back firing now thru the carb at -4 !

Forget heating it up to try and free it!

If yours is cast iron and you have a ball joint separator and a bench grinder then sharpen the forks up more and see if you can also get it to move up & down a bit besides just back & forth.

If you get it up 1/8” then you can flood it with PB blaster penetrant.
This stuff is the best for dissolving varnish besides rust.

If you do get it to move without yanking it out then the first thing that I would do is advance the timing until the motor gets hard to crank and then spin the Distributor back 3/8” the other way and then try driving the car.

There’s nothing wrong with a well functioning points Distributor up to 5500 rpm with less then 12 to 1 compression unless you want every last crumb of hp and have 600 bucks just burning a hole in your pocket.

[mgarblik]

If the dist is in fact cast iron, like the pic Shurkey provided, try to get a wrench on the square and move it a little back and forth. I have had good luck with a big adjustable wrench or even a pipe wrench. If the dist. body is aluminum, you may be in more trouble. I have broken several bodies trying to make them move. Fords are particularly bad, but at least they are in the front. Again, I would recommend getting some Gumout spray or Berrymans carb cleaner. Spray the hell out of the area and try to nudge it back and forth while the carb cleaner is wet and liquid. You are trying to get just a little between the block and dist body to dissolve the crud. Once loose, set between 6 advanced mark and the edge of the plate if it doesn't ping. That would be around 10 degrees BTDC. Your video shows the mechanical advance is working. Good luck.

[Kenth]

Originally Posted by Zooguy

With the vacuum hose hooked up on the distributor when the motor is idling this is where my timing mark is.

Timing is set w/o vacuum advance hooked up.
So in fact your timing is now retarded 24° instead of 26° advanced.

A little maintanence of your distributor with new points and capacitor and setting the timing correct will make you forget about MSD.

FWIW

[Zooguy]

Welp took off the intake and tried to rotate the distributor. I only got about 45*ish each way
And it's HARD to move it ... After about 3 moves back and forth I was spent.

[25stevem]

You really need another person to help you at this point more then likely , one to spin it and one to pry, or in the worst case pull up on it while you spin it .
I had to remove the hood on one of my 1965 cars so I could stand up and straddle the motor to pull up on the dam thing while a buddy spun it back & forth.

[Zooguy]

Originally Posted by 25stevem

You really need another person to help you at this point more then likely , one to spin it and one to pry, or in the worst case pull up on it while you spin it .
I had to remove the hood on one of my 1965 cars so I could stand up and straddle the motor to pull up on the dam thing while a buddy spun it back & forth.

That's the way I'm thinking I may have to go sadly

[25stevem]

Just remember that once you get it up and have even the smallest gap on the bottom you can spray the the day lights out of it and free it up and out for sure.
Just take your time and be patient.

[tom s]

Enough room to get a can of freezeoff in there?Hit the shaft hard with it?Tom

[Zooguy]

Well it only took 2 days of messing with it and I used half a can of PB blaster half a can of seafoam deep creep and nearly a full can of WD-40 but I was finally able to get it all the way out. Unfortunately I'm going to need a new distributor.


What's everybody's opinion the MSD distributors available for Pontiacs?

Specifically I'm looking to get a 8528 or 8563

[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by Zooguy

Well it only took 2 days of messing with it and I used half a can of PB blaster half a can of seafoam deep creep and nearly a full can of WD-40 but I was finally able to get it all the way out.

And an oil 'n' filter change, if that crap went down into the engine.

Originally Posted by Zooguy

Unfortunately I'm going to need a new distributor.

Why?

Originally Posted by Zooguy

What's everybody's opinion the MSD distributors available for Pontiacs?

Specifically I'm looking to get a 8528 or 8563

8563 has no vacuum advance. Garbage for street use.
8528 has vacuum advance, and a Ready-to-Die module. Not my first choice. Outrageously expensive--over $500.

Find a Genuine GM HEI in good condition. Pull it apart for cleaning and inspection. Clean up and lube the advance mechanism, recurve the centrifugal, buy an "adjustable" vacuum advance canister, a low-resistance brush between coil and rotor, a new cap and rotor, and a new pickup coil. Supply it with a 10- or 12-gauge power wire with no ballast resistor.

One-third the price of MSD, (probably less) and the Genuine GM stuff is not made in China.

[25stevem]

Franks Pontiac parts has a used and in good condition iron Distributor for 75 buck's.

Get it and swap over the parts from yours after you have replaced the under plate wire to the points and put the savings from doing that into the oil change that your motor likely now needs.

Once again, have you checked out how much slop there may or may not be in the timing chain?

[Mr Anonymous]

I've used a strap-type oil filter wrench on the distributor body to loosen some up. Glad you were able to get yours out.

[darngoat]

Hello. Next time try brake fluid. Works wonderfully. Used to work at a Chevy dealer many years ago. Melts varnish from lack of oil changes.

[mgarblik]

For what you have described as your future plans, it's hard to justify an MSD distributor, unless you just want one. Personally, I would lean toward a used IRON Pontiac distributor. Franks Pontiac parts or Pontiac Heaven, should have plenty of them. You may know ALL the MSD stuff, other than the Pro Race stuff like the 44 amp magnetos is made in China now. Quality and reliability is nothing like it was 15 years ago. Can't be compared. Failure rate just about the same as Petronix now. Which for me has been about 10% failure after a year of use. Pretty crappy.