Distributor Rotor bind / sieged into the shaft

Status
Not open for further replies.
P

PandaBear

Joined
Aug 5, 2002
Messages
26,233
Location
Silicon Valley
1997 Integra B18B1 engine

13st701_e0510.png


The Honda type (TEC) distributor has a bolt that hold the rotor to the shaft and it is common for this bolt to get stuck or strip the head. I'm not having this problem, as I've gotten it out.

The problem is that the rest of the rotor's metal collar are bind to the distributor's shaft instead. It looks like the shaft is mildly rusted, and I've sprayed PB Blaster there and tried to pry it out, but end up cracking the "Leak" cover (#6) instead.

I've heard everything under the sun including PB Blaster on the shaft, vice grip on the remaining rotor, soldering iron (to heat cycle the bind surface) instead.

What should I do next to remove it?
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: defektes
Try a few taps with a ball pen.

I think he meant ball-peen hammer, right? If you can fix a car with a pen, however, you're a better person than me.

It's funny you bring up your problem of the screw becoming stuck in the rotor. My brother had a 1991 Prelude and the very same screw worked its way OUT twice while driving.
 
I would think that vice grips on what remains of the rotor would let you pull it straight out.
Can you get a straight shot at it, though?
The distributor is horizontal and faces the passenger side of the engine compartment, right?
I woul try a couple of hammer raps, and then the vice grips.
If all else fails, you can probably get it off easily if you remove the distributor, not at all difficult to R&R in most cases.
The last Honda I had to R&R the dist on was one of our '86 Civics, and that wasn't at all difficult.
 
Yes I got a straight shot at it, removed most of the things along the way already. As a matter of fact when I try to use pliers to pull it out I destroyed the rotor already, so there's no going back now.

My main concern about removing the distributor is that it may skew the timing, I don't have a timing gun to check timing and I wouldn't want to pay $60 for someone to do it or get one. Usually I wait till a T Belt job and let the mechanic do all that together for $200-240 labor.
 
So you got the set screw out cleanly?
This will sound dumb, but did the screw break in the process of removal, leaving a remnant that is holding the remains of the rotor?
Alternatively, is there a roll pin or something else securing it?
Anyway, you now have a nice, solid piece of metal to work with.
Assuming that its just a little stuck, I still think a straight pull with a pair of locking pliers would be my next step.
Plain pliers will probably not work, unless you have a really large pair of them.
A little wiggling as you pull might help.
 
The remains of the rotor looks like it has clean cad plate.
The shaft doesn't look too bad either.
It looks difficult, but can you get a screwdriver under the remains, and find something solid to pry against?
A really tiny puller would also work well.
 
Finally got it out, with a soldering iron heating the rotor collar up for 20 minutes at various spot.

The shaft was rusted, after some sanding to remove the rust it looks silver shiny, not the red tint we see in the picture.
 
Great, and yes I did mean a ball-peen hammer. Although, macguyver could have used a ball pen to solve the problem.
 
Last edited:
I would have cut it with a cut off wheel, or a hacksaw end.
Even if it is not cut through the whole length, enough pressure is relieved so that you could get it off.

But you got it out, so good work!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom