Go Right Now And Check Your Distributor Cap Adapter Screws!

[ratio411]

I have never seen this happen, but my son's car died last night and I went to help him on the side of the road. He lost all fire, and I thought it must be the TFI, but I pulled the boot off the distributor, and the entire cap was totally loose on top of the base!

I pulled the top portion of the cap off the adapter portion, and saw a huge mess.

The rotor was beat to heck, and the tip of it was knocked loose and almost facing the other direction.
The cap contacts were totally beat, and the cap was full of debris.
The 2 screws that hold the lower portion down were free inside the housing.
(I have NEVER seen this before!)
They apparently bounced around in there, shredding everything as they went.

The car stopped because the screws went through the sensor and ripped the magnet off, also ripped the post that the magnet was bonded to. The other side, pickup side, was heavily gouged and the plastic ripped up and dispersed all around the inside of the housing.

Needless to say, we had to buy a new distributor.

I have never seen these 2 stupid bolts loosen, much less both come free.
I will check mine more often now.

If anyone who reads this is a tranny person, please help with an AODE problem posted here:
http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/threads/i-need-aode-help-shifting-all-messed-up.860698/

Thanks!
Dave

 

[Noobz347]

Switch to an MSD red cap and throw the boot in the trash.

 

[ratio411]

The MSD cap doesn't eliminate the screws. So no thanks.

 

[Noobz347]

It's not intended to eliminate the screws. It's intended to eliminate the boot so that you can see the cap. Red/Blue thread-lock keeps the screws from backing out.

 

[ratio411]

Yeah, I am going to go blue on the thread compound.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

I looked everywhere on my car,..where is the distributor, and what does it look like?

 

[ratio411]

I looked everywhere on my car,..where is the distributor, and what does it look like?

Sounds like you need one of those fancy red caps... so you can find it.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Sounds like you need one of those fancy red caps... so you can find it.

Where does the fancy red cap go? All I got in front of the motor is an alternator.

 

[RacEoHolic330]

It should be right in front of your fuel injectors, Mike.

 

[BlownFiveLiter]

Mike's rubbing in his distributorless ignition that the 4.6 has. Maybe I'll convert to EDIS on my 302? Hmm...

 

[GroverDill]

mounts near the pushrods.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

It should be right in front of your fuel injectors, Mike.

mounts near the pushrods.

Injectors????,.....Pushrods????

Dammit!!! I cant find those stinkin' things either!

I tell ya,...these engines today,..... they're such a mess of wires and hoses, it's a wonder I can even find it under the hood.

 

[Noobz347]

Injectors????,.....Pushrods????

Dammit!!! I cant find those stinkin' things either!

I tell ya,...these engines today,..... they're such a mess of wires and hoses, it's a wonder I can even find it under the hood.

Well it's no wonder your car runs like chit.

 

[StreetsideStig]

Here's a quick tutorial, Mike. It might help.

 

[darthcual]

Please everyone be more specific. I tried to check these so called bolts and got my hand stuck in the toaster again.

 

[Noobz347]

Please everyone be more specific. I tried to check these so called bolts and got my hand stuck in the toaster again.

Put your hands and the toaster, into a bath tub full of water, to get it to come off.

 

[JordanB21]

I was giggling to myself all while reading this, starting at Mike's posts.

 

[darthcual]

Put your hands and the toaster, into a bath tub full of water, to get it to come off.

Tried that, Toaster bit me

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Tried that, Toaster bit me

Bit you?
Clearly you forgot to plug the toaster in before you got into the tub. I find that this is a process best accomplished by two people.

Besides the helper, and the toaster,... you'll need an extension cord and a rubber glove:

First, Drape the extension cord into the tub of water (DO NOT PLUG THE EXTENSION CORD IN THE WALL!!!)
Next, get into the **tub w/ the toaster and plug the cord from the toaster into the socket end of the extension cord.
Insert your hand (right or left,...it really doesn't matter) firmly into the toaster (two slice toasters are best for this).
Now have a helper put on the rubber glove and plug in the male end of the extension cord into a nearby non GFCI electrical outlet.

** Be sure that the tub floor is very clean before attempting all of this. Remove the rubber mat, and any adhesive traction appliques that have been stuck on the tub floor first. This is very important,... as it is very important that the tub floor be extremely slippery.
The benefit to following the above advice is after you get your ass socked w/ 120 volts,....if the prolonged shock don't kill you,.. the rapid loss of footing will ensure you crack your skull on the faucet when you go down.

I mean if it's worth doing,...it's worth doing right. Right?

 

[Bullitt95]

Shall we start handing out Darwin Awards now?

The bottom line is that the OP needs a new distributor (which is mounted on the front of the block in the SBF for the benefit of those Chevy guys who are looking for it at the rear ) and the best one to buy is a new Motorcraft unit.
It's likely that the old dizzy failed because the shaft bearings were worn thus allowing the shaft to wobble, break the rotor tip, and cause all the other secondary damage.