Stuck distributor rotor

[wwoodrow]

My rotor is stuck tight on the 424I.H. and I need to clean the points. Before I just break it off , could I park tractor facing uphill and spray some WD 40 or similar where it meets shaft and let it run downhill into the rotor ? Would this do any harm , if not I think it is worth a try ?

 

[wore out]

My rotor is stuck tight on the 424I.H. and I need to clean the points. Before I just break it off , could I park tractor facing uphill and spray some WD 40 or similar where it meets shaft and let it run downhill into the rotor ? Would this do any harm , if not I think it is worth a try ?

WD40 was developed as a "water displacement ignition spray", I wouldn't bother to attempt any gymnastics, just spray it at the "back" of the rotor, it's not going to hurt anything (may not help, either).

Or, you could crank the engine 'til the rotor points straight up as a reference, and scribe a line where the distributor and drive housing meet, then pull the distributor and work on it "on the bench" at the desired orientation.

At that point you'll see how NASTY the grease in the drive assembly is and "mission creep" will begin!

 

[rustred]

good thing its tight. many of them rotors are worn out and basically fall of the shaft. give it a good hard pull, tight is good .

 

[300guy]

Use a Stanley bar and something flat. Carefully put the bar under the rotor and use the flat piece on top the distributor to gently pry the rotor loose and off.

 

[wore out]

Use a Stanley bar and something flat. Carefully put the bar under the rotor and use the flat piece on top the distributor to gently pry the rotor loose and off.

I think there's probably a limit on how hard one wants to pry there, it would be easy to damage the advance mechanism or bend the small diameter end of the distributor shaft that passes through the breaker point cam, leading to cam wobble and spark scatter.

 

[Duner Wi]

I think we need a video of this operation.
Might be a hit.

 

[300guy]

That's why I said carefully. I have done this before and and it works but you can't do it like your prying on a nail. Just light pressure.

 

[Duner Wi]

I was referring to parking tractor facing uphill and let it run downhill into rotor.
What possibly could go wrong? My imagination is run amuck.

 

[wwoodrow]

I was referring to parking tractor facing uphill and let it run downhill into rotor.
What possibly could go wrong? My imagination is run amuck.

I did try to pry it with screwdriver but was afraid to pry harder for that very reason . As for parking on hill, it is more of a short incline[ like a terrace row] with idea being just to get front wheels a little higher than the rears so distributor shaft has slight down hill angle for lubricant to run back toward rotor .

 

[Duner Wi]

2 small pry tools 180 degrees apart. Give it a shot of brake clean . Lubes good till it evaporates. Do a rocking motion. Should come off.

 

[wwoodrow]

2 small pry tools 180 degrees apart. Give it a shot of brake clean . Lubes good till it evaporates. Do a rocking motion. Should come off.

Hope to give it a try this weekend. Tractor is at my camp 40 miles away.

 

[560Dennis]

Got a small slide hammer to gently tap it off there ?

 

[wore out]

Got a small slide hammer to gently tap it off there ?

It would be FAR better to simply break the rotor than to pry or take a slide hammer to the advance mechanism, IMHO!

 

[Duner Wi]

Wore Out, How many rotors have you broken removing ? Zero for me .

 

[Jim Becker]

Wore Out, How many rotors have you broken removing ? Zero for me .

I think Wore Out was suggesting deliberately breaking the rotor to get it off, rather than applying force that will transfer to the shaft or advance mechanism. I've had an occasional stuck rotor, but never as stuck as this one seems to be.

 

[olddavid]

Have you tried running the tractor until it's hot then trying to pull it off. It might get tighter I don't know. Just a thought.

 

[wore out]

Wore Out, How many rotors have you broken removing ? Zero for me .

Quite a few, actually! MANY if you count the small-cap HEI's on V-6 and V-8 Chevies!

 

[Duner Wi]

Quite a few, actually! MANY if you count the small-cap HEI's on V-6 and V-8 Chevies!

Wore Out. You actually broke the rotors on all those vehicles. That's bad luck.

 

[wore out]

Wore Out. You actually broke the rotors on all those vehicles. That's bad luck.

There's no "bad luck" involved, those distributors suffered from poor ventilation as well as high energy spark, and all parts under the and rusted and corroded terribly.

Have you ever serviced one of those that haven't be touched from new 'til they start to misfire?

 

[Jim.ME]

If you find something to fit between the bottom of the rotor and the top of the cam block on the shaft the points run on, the prying force will be on the solid shaft, not affecting the advance components.