RBX

Anyone know how the distributor shaft comes part to replace the bearing and seals? For the life of me I can't find any diagrams or threads detailing this. I've found a carry distributor rebuild but it's built differently.

Thanks

MudHippy

In short: It's not rebuildable. You can replace the o-ring and the gasket for the cap. It has no other seals or gaskets.

Long story: Sure you can rebuild it other than replacing the o-ring and gasket. But you won't find parts specifically for it. You'll need to press the gear off the shaft. Then press the shaft and bearing out of the housing(together). Press the brass bushing out of the housing. And press the bearing off of the shaft. You'll probably have to have someone make you a new brass bushing. And I'm sure if you look hard enough you can find a replacement bearing(of the same size and type). The tricky parts will be pressing the gear and bearing back on the shaft in their correct positions.

Bottom line: I don't recommend the long story. Buy a new one if you think it'll do you any good.

RBX

Thanks man, when I posted this I figured the only person that would know would be you, and was hoping you'd see this. Thanks for the reply. I guess I'll go to the yard and snag one, mine is puking oil into the cap and then dripping onto the alternator, and you know what happens next.

scope103

Less than $150 at RockAuto. If you're lucky enough to find one, a salvage part is likely to be much cheaper, but it's still a salvage part.

MudHippy

I just got done pressing the gear off of one and reinstalling it in the correct position. It was a cheap new(non-OEM) one I bought that had the gear pressed on wrong. I couldn't barely get it to set the timing at stock. All the way advanced was ~12° BTDC(and I run way more advance than that). So I had to take it(the gear) off and and rotate it about ½ a tooth clockwise. Luckily I had an old one to use as a reference for where the gear should be clock wise. And I remembered to take a measurement between it(the gear) and the housing before removing it. So I got it right the first try.

I also took another old one(have 2) completely apart first to see how they're put together.

Where it's leaking on yours is either through the bearing, which is sealed on both ends, or between the housing and the outer race of the bearing. It's essentially a skateboard wheel bearing if you've ever seen one of those. Either way it's odd that it would be leaking that much though. That might point to another issue. Though I can't think of what it would be.

MudHippy

Wait wait wait. Something wasn't making sense to me. I got to thinking about it. And I couldn't see any reason why it wouldn't be leaking oil up the shaft into the housing past the bushing and the bearing. Or rather how it couldn't. There's grooves in the housing where both are seated that oil would easily flow right passed if it could. That and the bearing isn't very tight fitting in the housing. Maybe there's a seal somewhere I didn't notice?

Sure enough there is. It's behind the bushing down in the bottom of the housing. I had no reason to look down in there(never removed the bushing either). So I never did. But yeah. GOOD LUCK finding that one. It's a radial lip seal. Says NOK on the top side of it. Looks like it gets pressed in from the top.

And no, I can't decide which spelling of the word past or passed I prefer. Both are acceptable, and mean the same things(depending on context).

RBX

Well this engine is on its way to the scrapper soon, it's like it knows I have the new engine waiting to go in. So a salvage part is fine, I have one more wheeling trip next weekend I don't want to miss.
To the point, it could be a bigger issue. Could it be higher then normal oil pressure or crankcase pressure somehow? I have a new pcv and breather on her.
And yes big skater in my younger years. Very firmiliar with those bearings and probably still have new ones laying a round

MudHippy

I kinda felt like I should have clarified that further. In case you asked. But no. The only thing that could be causing the problem is that "hidden" seal I never realized existed. Though I've never seen or heard of a case of it happening, I'm 99.9999% sure that's exactly what happened. As in that seal finally failed. If it failed it would take practically zero pressure for the oil to start working its way up the shaft. I'm quite certain normal crankcase pressure would be more than sufficient. And if the seal was still good, but crankcase pressure was too high, I'm pretty sure oil would find an easier way out(if it could). It typically finds its way into the intake first(and/or passed an easier to get to seal, like the front and rear mains).

RBX

I appreciate the help.

MudHippy

No problem. Actually saves me from having to do my own 3VZ-E distributor(1st iteration) breakdown thread. Which I'd considered.

Let's do some pics to make it official!

The bottom seal for the bearing is hanging on the shaft(hard to see it there). Which are more dust seals than oil(they wouldn't seal oil out/in at all I wouldn't imagine)



I bleed myself on it a tiny bit. Can't remember how that happened or why. But I can't seem to pick up a hand tool without my hands paying for it.

RBX

Great tech!
What do you suppose the key way type slot is for on the housing by the brass bushing?

MudHippy

I think that one lets some of the oil drain back down the shaft(or around the bushing rather). There's that window cutout just above the bushing, and just below the seal, in the housing. Unless there's some other reason for that window cutout other than for lubing the bushing. I really don't how much sense that makes. Maybe none. Maybe some. I'll add a pic of that so it makes more sense what I'm talking about at least.



The better question is what about the one where the bearing sits? Now that really has me

RBX

Isn't that one just stopping the oil from traveling further up the shaft into the bearing? My assumption is that oil hitting the bearing could potentially loosen over time and work its way loose or off the teeth on the shaft....just guessing due to dissimilar metals with bearing steel and housing aluminum...and heat cycles.

RBX

^^^To add to my reasoning...
The distributor shaft is driven by the cam using angular meshing teeth giving positive pressure when driving, trying to push it out, into the cap.

MudHippy

I'm not sure if you're wrong or right. Or if I am either. I do know that the force applied to the shaft by the cam is pretty much all there is keeping the shaft in the housing. It's actually forcing the shaft downward as the engine runs. If an opposite force were applied, like if the cam was spinning in the other direction, it would want to spit the shaft out of the housing. Since if you push on the bottom of the shaft it doesn't take much force to push it and the bearing out of the housing. The bearing isn't a press fit in the housing by any means. Just barely tight enough to keep the outer race from easily spinning.

But what I'm really back to address is one mistaken claim I made and add one more observation.

1. The brass bushing isn't brass as it turns out. I threw a magnet on it and it stuck. So it's obviously steel. And steel bushings are generally referred to as sleeves.

2. I noticed, in addition to the arrow marking on the seal, the word left. So it's obviously some kind of one way seal. Counter clockwise apparently. Which I don't remember ever seeing one like that before. And I'm not sure I understand how that works either.

RBX

So I'm wrong, in that the cam pressure when driving the distributor shaft is pulling it down. You know way more then I do. Thanks again for the great help