Hot Distributors, Batman!

veeduber · 2006-07-13T01:50:06+00:00

To All:Distributors normally don't run hot.Even when the engine over-heats, the location of the distributor, up ona relatively cool corner of the crankcase, combines with the heat-flowpath and the ratio between the neck of the distributor and its body, tocause the distributor to run significantly cooler than the crankcase.So if you have a hot distributor it's a pretty good sign that somethingis wrong ...and that 'something' is usually that your engine has beenimproperly assembled.Have you got a distributor handy? If you'll examine the neck of thedistributor you'll see a hole drilled into the neck just below thegroove for the O-ring. A machined trough runs from the hole to thebottom edge of the neck. As you may have guessed, the hole and thetrough are there for a purpose, which is to lubricate the shaft of thedistributor.Grab a crankcase and peek down inside the hole where the distributorgoes. On the uphill side of the hole -- the side nearest thecenter-line of the crankcase -- you'll see a small window cast into theside of the hole. When the distributor is properly installed, thetrough on the side of the neck of the distributor connects with thatwindow. Of course, that only happens when the ENGINE is properlyassembled, since the orientation of the distributor's pinion geardictates the installed orientation of the distributor. (On the piniongear, the slot for the dog-gear must be perpendicular to thecenter-line of the crankcase when the #1 cylinder is at 7.5 degreesbefore TDC. The smaller segment must be toward the pulley. Note thatthe alignment is for the STATIC FIRING POINT and not TDC.)Notice that the window opens onto the cast 'shelf' that serves to alignthe thermal insulator that isolates the fuel pump from the crankcase.The angle at which the distributor is installed and the location of theshelf combine to provide a constant supply of oil for the distributorshaft. Install the distributor incorrectly and you've just shut offthe oil to the...

Jul 13, 2006 21 Replies

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Michael Cecil 19 years ago

Is it melting from the wires or melting from the distributor casing?

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187 19 years ago

it is melting from the distributor casting.

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