Stuck distributor and cam Sprocket

[N0TKG]

My 91 Loyale had started to run a little rough and it was beoming difficult to start, and the millage was dropping. I suspected a timing problem. Then one day this spring she would not start at all. It would turn over, but not fire. I crawled under the dash and found a crank angle sensor code. I was able to determine that the distributor was not turning, so I suspected then that I had a broken left timing belt. I am disabled and was not able to work on anything at the time, so it had to wait until I my hands were working better.

 

Yesterday my neighbor and I pulled the timing belt covers. The left belt was stripped at the crankshaft sprocket and the camshaft sprocket would not turn. We tried to pull the distributor but it will not move. It seems that somehow the distributor is stuck to the cam or one has the other jammed.

 

Do any of you have any ideas as to what  may be going on inside? And does Anyone have any suggestions as to how to pull that distributor out of the engine?

 

Advice is appreciated.

 

Thanks

Edited August 6, 2013 by N0TKG

[ford'ssubaru's]

Admittedly I have NOT had this problem.  BUT,  I do know that it is NOT an interferance motor.  Knowing how it is set up though I would gues that your dist gear jammed because of worn dist.  You might as well pull the rocker box or camshaft housing.  You will probably have to do this anyhow. 

 

Eric

[john in KY]

Really no need to pull the distributor. Replace the timing belts and all the idlers, new oil pump gasket and call it a done deal. Good idea to also replace the camshaft seals but if they aren't leaking, don't. 

 

Edit: The distributor, if memory is correct, is retained by 2 bolts. You did remove both of them? But again, leave it alone.

 

Edit #2: Any chance you know a  Gale Rosenburger? Not sure of his last name spelling. 

Edited August 6, 2013 by john in KY

[N0TKG]

Thank you for the replies.

 

 

The belts, seals, etc were all replaced 10K miles ago. The problem is that the left side is not turning, and that issue combined with a distributor that will not budge leads me to believe that there is probably something broken or jamed in the distributor shaft that also has the cam stuck.

 

Given that the car was showing symptoms of bad timing that gradually got worse before things quit leads me to suspect that the distributor was going out, then something finally broke and became jammed in there. I've never had one of these open, so I don't have a mental image as a reference.  The other disadvantage I have  is hands and arms that don't work very well any more and that slows me down big time. What took me an hour to do 15 years ago might take me a day, or a week. If I can do it at all.  So if there is any possible way to pull that distributor out of the engine that does not involve removing the engine from the car, I need to find it.

 

Sorry, I don't know any Rosenbergers. I knew some Rosenburgs years ago, but not a Gale.

[ford'ssubaru's]

When you remove the cam assy cover the dis will come off with it.  It can be done with out removing the motor.

 

Eric

[N0TKG]

Thank you!  That bit of information just made my evening a lot birghter.

 

I have an old 85 GL in the weeds that I was going to rebuild years ago, before I got sick. The timing covers are off that thing. If it is not raining tomorow I think I will experiment a bit with that and see what I can learn.

[NorthWet]

In case you were unaware, the 85's distributor will not work in your Loyale.