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Post Info TOPIC: Restored my distributor


Poncho Master!

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Restored my distributor


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).

 DistributorBeforeAfter.jpg

 

 



-- Edited by davepl on Sunday 18th of February 2018 10:22:23 PM

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Canadian Poncho Superstar!

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Looks good.

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.

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70 2+2 convertible
70 2+2 hardtop
70 Parisienne hardtop
72 GMC Sierra

 

 



Poncho Master!

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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

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Canadian Poncho Superstar!

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buried in my room is a spare distributor shaft with the extra grooves for oiling. I'll dig it out and compare it to a standard shaft.

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70 2+2 convertible
70 2+2 hardtop
70 Parisienne hardtop
72 GMC Sierra

 

 



Canadian Poncho Superstar!

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When you punched the shaft out of the housing, did it get stuck in the bushing and take the bushing out with it?

The standard bushings are kind of grey, the high perf bushings are copper colored, as indicated above they're oil impregnated bronze.

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70 2+2 convertible
70 2+2 hardtop
70 Parisienne hardtop
72 GMC Sierra

 

 



Canadian Poncho Superstar!

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Here's a photo I grabbed off ebay, I've circled the grooves of the high perf distributor shaft.

454 grooved distributor shaft and grooved outlilne.JPG



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70 2+2 convertible
70 2+2 hardtop
70 Parisienne hardtop
72 GMC Sierra

 

 



A Poncho Legend!

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It's a good winter indoor job. I did one a few years ago. I bought a date/numbers one off eBay cheap and fiddled with it.

In '69 did they have the "numbers band" around the base of the housing?

IMG_1817.JPG

IMG_1818.JPG

 



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Prince Edward Island

'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.



Canadian Poncho Superstar!

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in 69 they had the numbers stamped into the side of the housing, just below where the cap sits.

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70 2+2 convertible
70 2+2 hardtop
70 Parisienne hardtop
72 GMC Sierra

 

 



Poncho Master!

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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.

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Canadian Poncho Superstar!

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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.

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70 2+2 convertible
70 2+2 hardtop
70 Parisienne hardtop
72 GMC Sierra

 

 



Poncho Master!

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Where the retaining clip/ring goes in is also bronze/brass looking. The washer didn't survive removal (seized up and rusted) but the bushing was OK.

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Canadian Poncho Superstar!

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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.

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70 2+2 convertible
70 2+2 hardtop
70 Parisienne hardtop
72 GMC Sierra

 

 



Poncho Master!

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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!
IMG_6171.JPG



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Guru

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You're flying at low altitude!

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John

Montreal 

26 1969 American Pontiacs

and a 1969 Canadian 2+2 Hardtop



Poncho Master!

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Uh oh! But it's not me, it's a guy helping me out with it...

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