I need to have someone check it for play to make sure the little it has isn't too much, but otherwise I humbly submit that it turned out fairly nice, considering what I started with. It was totally seized up. Never having done this before I wasn't really sure how much grease to pack in the 'reservoir', so I just filled each one about 1/4" deep. In other words I didn't pack it solid. Anyone know how it's supposed to be done?
Would have been WAY easier to just put a new Pertronix stock-bodied unit in it, but it wouldn't have the right part number and date code (this is my original, so I kept it even though it was rough).
-- Edited by davepl on Sunday 18th of February 2018 10:22:23 PM
I rebuilt the distributor on the LS4 454 in my convertible when I put the engine in. It's actually fairly straightforward, especially if the distributor shaft comes out without taking the bushing out with it. There's a couple things unique to the high performance distributors:
- an oil impregnated bronze bushing.
- the distributor shaft has additional grooves in it to assist in oiling.
I actually used chassis grease in the resevoir, and packed it in fairly good. I've got about 20,000 miles on the engine, so it seemed to work ok.
I used high pressure chassis lube as well. I soaked the felt washer in oil.
The distributor shaft did NOT come out easily, it was very corroded. I spent a long time with it on a wire wheel benchtop grinder cleaning it up. I didn't know they were "special" distributors!
-- Edited by davepl on Sunday 18th of February 2018 10:49:35 PM
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.
I don't recall the bands, but this is about as high perf as GM distributors got in the day, as far as I know. If you mean the bushing at the bottom of the housing down by the gear, that one is a brass color I'd say. The bushing didn't come out with the shaft though.
The bushing I'm referring to actually is right at the grease reservoir. Sometimes a build-up on the shaft makes the bushing come out when pushing the shaft up through the top of the housing. I'm going by memory, but the spring clip that's used to keep the breaker plate down actually goes into a groove in the top of the bushing.
I should have looked at your before picture, I can see the bushing in place in the distributor housing (and it looks bronze). I can also see the distributor shaft laying there, but can't see if it has the grooves.
Here's a picture, had it out again yesterday. No extra grooves, but I'd argue that the L36, being the highest perf engine you could get, must be "high perf". Yet no fancy distributor shaft!