Replacing distributor coil on electronic distr, looks like it should b easy, but I need to get the snap ring out from under the felt in the distr drive hollow to get the reluctor off. Tried several tools and can't get it off. Advise ? Also if it ends up I decide to get a new distributor, can you recommend a good brand? NAPA? Thanks in advance,
How do you get the snap ring out of reluctor?
- Thread starter dartley
- Start date
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mopar head
Well-Known Member
You don`t need to remove that clip to just remove the reluctor.
Just pry up with 2 small prybars or screwdrivers and don`t loose the rollpin that indexes it. Take note of its position..
Just pry up with 2 small prybars or screwdrivers and don`t loose the rollpin that indexes it. Take note of its position..
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
mopar head is correct
It holds the upper shaft onto the lower shaft I've always used a VERY thin needle nose "when I needed to."
Also PAY ATTENTION to the rotation arrows on the reluctors. Notice there are two keyways, one for CCW (big block) and one for CW (small block)
Here, read this
http://www.moparmusclemagazine.com/techarticles/engine/mopp_0301_mopar_electronic_ignition_system/
It holds the upper shaft onto the lower shaft I've always used a VERY thin needle nose "when I needed to."
Also PAY ATTENTION to the rotation arrows on the reluctors. Notice there are two keyways, one for CCW (big block) and one for CW (small block)
Here, read this
http://www.moparmusclemagazine.com/techarticles/engine/mopp_0301_mopar_electronic_ignition_system/
It's easy to do once you know how, right? 
( ... thanks for the help. BTW, I got it all apart and found that the pickup coil is wrong ... the black part that "meets" the reluctor is about 2 hundreds of an inch fatter from front to back than the outgoing part and cannot be adjusted back far enough, so the reluctor will strike it. I ordered a new reluctor and coil from NAPA so I'll see if that fixes the problem.
( ... thanks for the help. BTW, I got it all apart and found that the pickup coil is wrong ... the black part that "meets" the reluctor is about 2 hundreds of an inch fatter from front to back than the outgoing part and cannot be adjusted back far enough, so the reluctor will strike it. I ordered a new reluctor and coil from NAPA so I'll see if that fixes the problem.
MobileCustoms
Well-Known Member
This would explain why my timing readings seem to be off from where they SHOULD be when my reluctor is lined up with the magnetic pickup!
I read that sam article when I did my re-curve but missed that little tidbit and have been pulling hairs out trying to dial in my timing, thinking "That reading just can't be right!"
Makes perfect sense now so thank you and I am glad I decided to browse this particular thread. Now I know what I am doing tonight!
-Doug
I did hear of that information, yes, thank you. But the reluctor can only go in one way unless you put it in upside down and it should not make any difference which slot the pin goes in ... if it's loose you'll know it and just use the other slot so it's tight. I did, however, take note of it just in case I'm even dumber than I seem.
MobileCustoms
Well-Known Member
Looking at an old reluctor here, it looks like the 2 holes are clocked a little different and that it could be assembled either way. I will know for sure when i pull it back apart. I need to weld up my advance slots a little more anyways so it's coming out again, regardless.
tekslk
Well-Known Member
I used jb weld the last time did a good job.
Well I wonder if I can ask for a little more help.
So far I have removed the distributor, replaced the pickup coil with a new unit from NAPA, replaced the reluctor with the pin in the same place, replaced the distributor in the car.
I start the car - starts right up. But it does not run any better than it did (more on that below). I again plug in the 70s tech blue electronic ignition diagnostic tool (in case you don't know what that is, it is a special tool that was used by Mopar techs for these electronic ignitions ... you unhook the wiring that attaches to the hot box and attach one end to the male connector and one to the female connector - so that the tool effectively replaces the hot box) and again it indicates that the pick up circuit is failing. On the back of the tool it tells me that when the light for the pick up is on - which it is - that means either the pickup circuit or wiring is faulty. Since it apparently is not the coil, then I suppose that leaves the wiring. I'm not real good with wiring problems; can anyone here provide a few pointers? Thanks in advance.
***Now, about how the car is running ... What immediately led to my adventure in distributor repair was that I started the car in February or March. It was cold, but the car eventually started after not being run for a few months. But boy did it run bad. It would not idle, and when I reved it up, I thought it would break an engine mount. So I shut it of and left it until last week. Last week it started much easier and started in fact to run well ... idled okay ... and so I took it for a spin. It ran pretty good, but off a bit (not much) in power. Then all of a sudden it started to not idle again and so I quickly got it home by not letting it drop to idle and put it back in the drive. It was also running rough again, and near idle the oil pressure went down to 20-25 lbs (it usually never goes down below 55 and is up to 80 at speed). And the diagnostic unit indicated the pickup circuit fault.
One other thing - for years (note: I drive the car very little so that's not really a lot of mileage) the car has occasionally emitted a chirping sound at idle and when returning to idle. I had a couple of mechanics look at it and nobody thought much of it) Well that chirping is now much worse and I feel sure that it's because of this ignition problem setting it way way out of time. Thanks again for reading my little tomb.
So far I have removed the distributor, replaced the pickup coil with a new unit from NAPA, replaced the reluctor with the pin in the same place, replaced the distributor in the car.
I start the car - starts right up. But it does not run any better than it did (more on that below). I again plug in the 70s tech blue electronic ignition diagnostic tool (in case you don't know what that is, it is a special tool that was used by Mopar techs for these electronic ignitions ... you unhook the wiring that attaches to the hot box and attach one end to the male connector and one to the female connector - so that the tool effectively replaces the hot box) and again it indicates that the pick up circuit is failing. On the back of the tool it tells me that when the light for the pick up is on - which it is - that means either the pickup circuit or wiring is faulty. Since it apparently is not the coil, then I suppose that leaves the wiring. I'm not real good with wiring problems; can anyone here provide a few pointers? Thanks in advance.
***Now, about how the car is running ... What immediately led to my adventure in distributor repair was that I started the car in February or March. It was cold, but the car eventually started after not being run for a few months. But boy did it run bad. It would not idle, and when I reved it up, I thought it would break an engine mount. So I shut it of and left it until last week. Last week it started much easier and started in fact to run well ... idled okay ... and so I took it for a spin. It ran pretty good, but off a bit (not much) in power. Then all of a sudden it started to not idle again and so I quickly got it home by not letting it drop to idle and put it back in the drive. It was also running rough again, and near idle the oil pressure went down to 20-25 lbs (it usually never goes down below 55 and is up to 80 at speed). And the diagnostic unit indicated the pickup circuit fault.
One other thing - for years (note: I drive the car very little so that's not really a lot of mileage) the car has occasionally emitted a chirping sound at idle and when returning to idle. I had a couple of mechanics look at it and nobody thought much of it) Well that chirping is now much worse and I feel sure that it's because of this ignition problem setting it way way out of time. Thanks again for reading my little tomb.
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
How do these plug in, IE do they use the car harness? There is VERY VERY little, that is, almost NO current in the pair of pickup coil wires. This means the slightest looseness or corrosion in that harness connector WILL give you trouble. It's also possible for the ECU connector to give you trouble as well.
I did exactly that, yes. To my knowledge the distributor was never apart before; but I can't be 100% certain nobody ever tried to gap it with a non-metallic gauge ... but I doubt it. What gets me is that it runs fairly okay one minute and then starts rocking and rolling and just won't idle.
About the 'chirping' sound ... that's exactly what it sounds like - a chirp. It happens more and more the worse rougher it runs. I think it's detonation. I plan to check the connections when the weather clears here - maybe tomorrow, but it is really weird.
About the 'chirping' sound ... that's exactly what it sounds like - a chirp. It happens more and more the worse rougher it runs. I think it's detonation. I plan to check the connections when the weather clears here - maybe tomorrow, but it is really weird.
Hi,
Because the title of this is no longer meaningful, I have created a new topic - http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?p=1970470651#post1970470651 - that, if anyone can offer further help with, perhaps is more to the current point. Thank you.
Because the title of this is no longer meaningful, I have created a new topic - http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?p=1970470651#post1970470651 - that, if anyone can offer further help with, perhaps is more to the current point. Thank you.
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