Bad Day w/72 Truck - Siezed Spark Plugs, New Distributor

[thethump]

I bought the typical round of goods for a tuneup, when removing the condensor it seemed like the deck of the distributor was moving around a little much. Looks like a fiberglass or composite dow broke. See photo link below to see it. Gonna drop $50 to replace the entire thing but not sure if it's that easy.

Question 1) how about get'n the plugs out... are the sprays helpful at all? What is a heat wrench?
Question 2) can i just drop a new distributor in and set the timing, or is this more involved i.e. got to start at top dead center etc?

Todays Blog Entry:

- wife complained about tools purchase this morning
- broke 1 (and stopped) manifold stud... sure was hoping to get new gasket on right side but my quess they will all break
- tried to remove plugs... siezed, engine was cool or luke warm.
- back to complaining about the wife's complaining ...... wifes says... why don't you sell the truck!

David

WTF Disti: http://www.thumpngood.com/truck/wtf_disti.jpg

[scott123]

WD-40.

If your plugs are seized its been too long since you had em out.

When you get them out liberally apply anti seize to the threads before re-installing.

[rjewkes]

A heat wrench is a torch.

[Redcap]

A heat wrench is a torch.

Also known as the gas axe.

[fordman]

I bought the typical round of goods for a tuneup, when removing the condensor it seemed like the deck of the distributor was moving around a little much. Looks like a fiberglass or composite dow broke. See photo link below to see it. Gonna drop $50 to replace the entire thing but not sure if it's that easy.

Question 1) how about get'n the plugs out... are the sprays helpful at all? What is a heat wrench?
Question 2) can i just drop a new distributor in and set the timing, or is this more involved i.e. got to start at top dead center etc?

Todays Blog Entry:

- wife complained about tools purchase this morning
- broke 1 (and stopped) manifold stud... sure was hoping to get new gasket on right side but my quess they will all break
- tried to remove plugs... siezed, engine was cool or luke warm.
- back to complaining about the wife's complaining ...... wifes says... why don't you sell the truck!

David

WTF Disti: http://www.thumpngood.com/truck/wtf_disti.jpg

i think you can buy just that plate with that deal already in it instead of a whole dist. if you cant find one i'm sure someone on here has one or event he whole dist. i have seen fe dist on ebay go for around 20.00 plus shipping. not to worry. i know ezernutt9mm has a fe dist for sale. as far as the plugs. pb blaster is better than wd40. wd40 replels water prblaster is oil. and it soaks into threads. or you can try heatign up the enigne before you try to remove them again. that also goes for the exhuast bolts. the top bolt ears on the head need to be heated red hot before those botls will come out.

now for the wife thing. this is what i say to my wife when she says stuff like that. shut the F up. but other ways to tell them stuff is i am making money doing this or i am interested in a new girlfriend and the truck got picked. don't worry i will take the tools back when i'm done with them i had to pay a deposit to use them. i will get that back.

i hope that helps. for the wife thing. make up your own story. i was just using examples. shut up i am reading my site.

[Alvin in AZ]

...and "the blue wrench". :)

Yeah, what Scott said. :)

I tend to have more luck with carburetor cleaner than WD-40 or PB-Blaster
...but any of it's better than nothin'! :)

Liquid Wrench as a follow up works good because it has graphite in it.
(or maybe MoS2) ?

Alvin in AZ
ps- The guys at the wreckin yard swear by straight anti-freeze.
Never tried it myself, don't have any rusty vehicles with stuck crap.

[scott123]

Dude, She wants you to get rid of this?.................................Lose the wife

Just kidding

[thethump]

Thanks for the replies. "Shut the F up" would be my first go to, but my mouth is what got me fired recently, and I'm trying to keep a leash on it. Wife goes before truck, no F'ng kidding. She's a really hot truck ain't she? I got her this way, so I can't brag aside from having the balls to do it after I got fired w/out the wife's blessing. That's enough to feel good when I'm roll'n down the road. Lov'n this forum.

I got the sparkplugs marinating in PB blaster for tomorrow, will work on get'n a new distributor back in/up to heat up for plug removal. If push comes to shove... I don't wanna shove the thing into a machine shop to fix some stripped out or broken plug... need this baby running till I win the F'n lotto.

Last time I worked on a distributor I was sixteen and using ball pen springs to rig advance. I don't remember... can I just un-bolt/yank up the old, drop the new one in? Got to be more than that no. No. 3 is marked showing on the top of the disti. shaft pointing forward.

- David

[71HANKER]

Man hearing that stuff about your wife nagging is bringing back flashbacks... Im a tech at a harley shop and my ex used to bitch everytime i would by tools. what she couldn't get through her walnut sized brain was the tools get the job done, which makes the money for BOTH of you. anyways kicked her ass out and traded up to a 71 f100 4x4. Now i have more tools AND money. The distributor is still an easy replacement man just put it on #1 cyl tdc before you yank the old one. And antiseize works great on sparkplugs, i've heard it will insulate too well and change the heat range of the plug but hey, i've never had any problems at all.

[fordman]

i see about the job and wife thing. i do understand that now. that does make the comments different then. i might try a different approach to it. i would put the enigne on number one also before you pull it out. that way if it gets put tin 180 out then its a quick out and right back it with a quick twist to get her going again. i could never get rid of my wife over a truck. i know how to talk my way into keeping both. i would say don't worry i have a plan. and she would go for it. because i usually come up with good plans to make things work out.

[rjewkes]

also fordman is right you can get the pickup plate. atleast thats what o'riely lists it as.or it might be listed as breaker or point plate.

[thethump]

FordMan, thanks. I spoke out of anger/disapppointment, I wouldn't trade my wife for any object... the relationship let's say was complicated and was so before the Ford. Is no. 1 cylinder front passenger side? Provided I get that plug out, use my pinky finger to determine when it's top of it's stroke?

- David

[scott123]

I wouldn't trade my wife for any object...

I can relate to that.

Is no. 1 cylinder front passenger side?

Yes

Provided I get that plug out, use my pinky finger to determine when it's top of it's stroke?

Actually with a ford v-8 in the evening (read not direct sunlight.) You can see the top of the piston with a good flashlight. When you get close and are on your compression stroke, you can touch a small screwdriver to the top of the piston for fine tuning or just look at the timing marks on the balancer.

[thethump]

Hi, better day. I caught the piston at top, and assumed it was in firing position as the rotor was pointing to the cap/wire for piston 1. Yanked the old out, dropped/twisted the new one in (had points/condenser built in). Fired right up. Unbelievable, or I did it right.

I was however concerned with one thing... the collar of the disti. had a rubber o-ring.. well more like a skirt/grommet, and I expected it would sit below the seat. It sat a little above it. I worked and worked and couldn't get the disti. down anymore, so decided to risk grinding some stuff up.

All was good, going to borrow a light-gun and get it all goody. Thanks everyone!

- D

[fordman]

maybe the dist wasnt completely on the oil pump shaft. that shaft is a hexagon or pentagon shape. anyway. the oil pump shaft should go all the way up into the bottom of the dist bottom shaft. maybe some dirt got into there or it didnt seat properly. i think i would pull it back up and check it for sure.