Distributor Assembly

Removal

1. Disconnect distributor from wiring harness.

2. Mark position of No. 1 cylinder wire tower on distributor base for reference when installing distributor.

3. Loosen distributor cap hold-down screws. Remove cap straight off distributor to prevent damage to rotor blade and spring. Position cap and attached wires aside so as not to interfere with distributor removal.

4. Remove rotor by pulling upward to remove it from the distributor shaft and armature.

5. Remove distributor hold-down bolt and clamp. Remove distributor by pulling upward.

6. Cover distributor opening in the cylinder block or head with a clean shop towel to prevent the entry of foreign material or dirt into the engine.

Installation

Before installing distributor, visually inspect distributor. Inspect O-ring. It should fit tightly and be free of cuts. The drive gear should be free of nicks, cracks and excessive wear. Rotate distributor drive shaft. It should move freely, without binding.

1. To install distributor correctly, No. 1 piston must be at Top Dead Center (TDC) of compression stroke. Remove No. 1 cylinder spark plug and rotate engine clockwise until No. 1 piston is on the compression stroke.

2. With No. 1 piston on compression stroke, align timing pointer with TDC on the crankshaft damper.

3. Align locating boss on rotor with hole on armature. Fully seat rotor on distributor shaft.

4. Rotate distributor shaft so blade on rotor is pointing toward mark on distributor base, that was previously made in Step 2 of the Removal procedure.

5. While installing distributor, continue rotating rotor slightly so leading edge of the vane is centered in vane switch stator assembly.

6. Rotate distributor in block to align leading edge of vane and vane switch stator assembly. Verify rotor is pointing at No. 1 mark on distributor base.

   If vane and vane switch stator cannot be aligned by rotating distributor in cylinder block, remove distributor enough to just disengage distributor gear from camshaft gear. Rotate rotor enough to engage distributor gear on another tooth of camshaft gear. Repeat Step 1 if necessary.

7. Install distributor hold-down clamp and bolt. Tighten bolt, but leave it loose enough to rotate distributor.

8. Install distributor cap, No. 1 spark plug and ignition wires. Check that ignition wires are securely connected to the cap and spark plugs. Tighten distributor cap hold-down screws to 2.0-2.6 Nm (18-23 lb-in).

9. Reconnect distributor to wiring harness.

10. Set initial timing according to procedures found in Section 8A of the Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis Manual .

11. After timing is set, tighten distributor hold-down bolt to 23-34 Nm (17-25 lb-ft).

12. Recheck initial timing. Adjust if necessary.