Cannot remove distributor ? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

geezee · 10-21-2008, 07:22 AM

Okay here is probably an ignorant question, but its driving me nuts.
1993 Camry LE, 2.2 4cyl, automatic

I need to remove the dizzy in order to get at the far corner head bolt (I am removing head to replace blown head gasket). Manual says, remove hold down bolt (one) and remove dizzy. I remove hold down bolt, that thing is NOT coming out of there, nor does it look like it will come out. I cannot find any other retention. It does appear that the knuckle joint (for lack of better word) which engages the camshaft needs to be removed in order to extract the dizzy. And it looks as if it has a dowel pin retaining it. However I don't want to trash anything, obviously. Oh and also the distributor housing will not turn whatsoever, now the hold down bolt is in a slot as I'm used to seeing in my Hondas (and about every other car), to allow rotation of the dizzy for timing adjustment, however I'm yet again puzzled by the fact that it won't rotate....

This car also has the WEIRDEST distributor design I've ever seen...Aside from the extreme pain in even getting the distributor cap off, there is no visible way to remove the rotor, everything is covered/concealed by a plastic 'do not remove' cover.... This is my first time wrenching this area of the engine since I inherited it from my father.

I really need help getting that distributor out !

thanks,
-z-

davemac2 · 10-21-2008, 02:29 PM

Are u sure it only has the one hold-down bolt? I know the V6 distributor has 2: one at 10 o'clock and one at 5 o'clock. I just removed mine over the weekend. Feel all the way around the distributor for another one. It has to be there if you can't even rotate the distributor with the one loose. BTW, make sure you mark the position of the distributor against the head by scrolling a mark in the aluminum on both sides before you take it out or twist it.

dave mc

geezee · 10-21-2008, 05:30 PM

I've looked as best I can see there is nothing more external to the distributor housing holding it on... I agree 1 bolt is the least I have ever seen, most have at least two..... I'll check 5oclock again.
thanks,
-z-

95PimpingCamry · 10-21-2008, 06:32 PM

for the rotor, it just pops off. There is nothing holding it on.

Kep · 10-21-2008, 07:25 PM

The 3SFE and the 5SFE both had two bolts. One is forward of and one is below the center of the distributor.

To make the cover easy to remove the next time get bolts with hex heads so you can use a nut driver or a socket wrench to remove them. I've seen Phillips head bolts on some and I can see where those would be very aggravating to loosen. There's only one of the three that is a major pain to get to and after you do it a couple of times you can do it with your eyes closed with a nut driver.

By the way go ahead and get a replacement o-ring that fits the distributor shaft and make sure to mark the body and the block so you can re-install it precisely and not have to mess with the timing.

Kep

geezee · 10-21-2008, 08:58 PM

awesome, thanks you all, the bolt was bottom dead center, neatly nestled behind a hose so I couldn't see it and somehow felt right past it, numerous times. The distributor is OFF. Gosh, a rotor that simply presses on with no mechanical retention ? Okay I guess. Now the head bolts won't break loose. Another post on that one.
Thanks again,
-z-