Distributor stuck in block.

[dozz302]

Hello, I have a distributor that won't budge. Motor has been sitting for decades. I pulled the pan and the distributor gear looks OK (no rust) but the rods do have surface rust. All in all the insides didn't look too bad. Heads are off and intake will move around so it is stuck in the bottom. I pulled the pan and put heat on the nose where it rests in the block as have been tapping the oil pump drive rod (not too hard) been putting PB Blaster on it and it won't budge or even spin on the shaft. It's a CJ distributor so don't want to damage it. Next I'm going to put spacers under the intake (to raise it up for more access maybe an inch or 2) and see if I can get channel locks (with rubber to protect distributor casting) on the part that rests in the intake where the rubber seal is and see if I can at least get it to spin.
At this point I'm willing to listen to any suggestions, Thank you

[Tunnelwedge]

Make a wrench to fit the housing that slips over the flat. Then tap it loose.
Or get a pipe wrench. Get a left handed one though it turns left handed.
If you have patience oiling and wiggling will work over time.
The one in my 427 has marks from being beat out so that is an option also.

[mike7570]

Another problem I dealt with long ago, I think I wedged a long 2x4 or some piece of wood between the distributor housing and the intake and was able to pry it up.

[winr1]

Tap it forwards and bacwards, then side to side gently with a rubber mallet

If you can lift the intake a bit or tear the rubber gasket off the get some PbBlaster in there

An oil filter wrench with rubber wrapped around the distributor, turning clocke wise and counter clockwise
...........................................

All of the muffler clamps on my65 were rusted after 25 years, sprayed them with PbBlaster twice a day for a week

They then turned right off, I blasted them, painted them high heat paint and reused them


Ricky.

[dozz302]

I guess there's only so many things you can do. Can't pry hard or will damage case. It won't move at all. Case is welded to the shaft and shaft welded to the block. That's what is feels like. Yes I will first have to get the case to spin or move on the shaft.

[GerryP]

What often happens to aluminum in a corrosive environment is the aluminum corrodes and as it does, the oxide layers begin to stratify.  Essentially, swelling the distributor.  You have to use penetrants to break the corrosive bond between the block and distributor.  Auto trans fluid and acetone work well.  That are a lot of witches brews that will do this so don't think one is better than another.  Whatever you do, don't force anything.  Tempting as it might be to use your Kung Fu grip, it can be costly.

[Fordman]

I have used brake fluid mixed with auto transmission fluid to remove corroded pistons in a rusty block with good success. It might be worth a try!.

[shady]

kroil and give it a tap or two every time you walk by it.

[rockhouse66]

Heat is usually your friend in these situations.  Can you apply some?  I bought some FE distributor cores at Carlisle this year.  One was broken off at the bottom of the "bowl" due no doubt to an extraction effort.  It can happen.

[Lowrider]

I recall working with my old man at the Ford dealer one FE dist. that wouldn't move. Being we were working on commission and the truck was a commercial vehicle we didn't have the luxury of spraying it down every few hours and tapping on it. We had to get the truck back on the road. We set the engine on the floor and started disassembling it for a new short block tapping/prying on the distributor occasionally but it wouldn't budge. Even with the oil pan off it wouldn't move tapping from below. I think my old man lost patience and broke the bowl on it prying but it wouldn't move. After he broke the bowl it was game on. He took a long punch and big hammer and wailed on it from the bottom. It finally came out in 3 pieces. I still remember him saying "huh, looks like it has a bad distributor" when it popped out.

[cleandan]

dozz302, you have good info already so I'm just adding to the pile.
1) Patience is your best tool with this job.....if you care to keep the distributor housing anyway.
2) JB-80, Kroil, and PB Blaster have all proven to work well in side to side tests against other penetrants.
3) A 50:50 mix of acetone and automatic transmission fluid works well but the acetone makes it pretty flammable, and the acetone evaporates quickly, so only apply where needed and apply often while being careful to not get it on any painted surfaces you care about.
4) Apply some penetrant, let sit overnight, give the housing a twist right, a twist left, then a bump front/back/side/side with about enough force to just barely dent a new car fender using a rubber mallet or soft faced dead blow hammer......but always error on the side of not hitting hard enough....again, time and patience is your best tool for this job.
5) Depending on how badly corroded the distributor is this will get the housing out within a few hours up to a couple weeks....usually you get some useful movement within a day or two, but keep oiling between wiggle sessions while staying patient and not just twisting it off.

Good luck.
I hope the housing neck is not pitted beyond use once you get it removed.

[Riderjeff]

OK, coming from left field...

Many years ago, I inherited a 1940's Johnson outboard that came in the trunk of an old Ford.  Frozen solid, wouldn't turn over.  My shade-tree mechanic buddy suggested I pour Coca-Cola into the spark plug holes & let it work.  VOILA! Success!  It even ran afterwards.

You could try dumping some on just to see...  Probably too messy.

[fryedaddy]

be patient,i have a 360 in my truck that was stuck,i took off the rockers,sprayed trans fluid and pb in the spark plug holes,tried to break it free with a big bar on the crank.i pushed and pulled on it for 10 days every morning.i then tried tapping the starter and it moved a little.after another week of tapping the starter,it moved a total of about 6 inches.i then tried tapping the starter WHILE pushing on the bar on the crank at the same time and it started spinning and spitting fluid out the spark plug holes. engine starts right up and runs good.

[dozz302]

Thanks for all the responses.
Well, the shaft turns now. Timing chain and gears are off and was able to get cam turning with distributor still not budging. Distributor is not corroded. Again, motor has been sitting for decades. I have been putting heat on the block (small bottle torch) where I can get it and tapping case to try and get it to start moving, from bottom and on top trying to get the case to spin. So it's stuck where aluminum touches cast iron in the block. I guess patience and tapping and putting a solution on it (maybe trying your suggestions). At least I know exactly what is holding it in now that the shaft turns.

[FE_4_ME]

Maybe time to pull the pan and remove the oil pump and lightly tap the oil pump drive shaft. No expertise in this area, just a thought.