jnorion Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 This is not something that seems like it should be difficult, but I've so far been completely unable to find a new distributor cap to fit my car. I'm seriously wondering if I don't have a stock distributor. Mine has captive screws to hold the cap on, which are threaded directly into the distributor body. The only caps I've been able to find anywhere, locally or online, are ones that clip on. Rock Auto had a picture of one with the screws, but when it arrived it was also a clip-on one. Here's what mine looks like: It's got a Nippondenso logo on it, but I can't seem to find a replacement. Anyone know where I could get one? Or, as an alternative, I suppose a more standard distributor would also help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbosubarubrat Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Would one for a loyale fit? It might or might not be different but it's worth a try before swapping distributors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djcommie Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 If that is an EA71, its a Denso points style with single advance. I see PACE SETTER Part # C605Z may fit, it has holes and specifically mentions the Denso distributor. All the Hitachi units are clip on, and I even think the electronic ignition Denso units are clip on as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnorion Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share Posted June 26, 2015 (edited) Hmm. Pacesetter #C605Z is the one that I bought from Rock Auto, and when it arrived it had clip mounts instead of holes. There's no number actually stamped into the part that I can find, so I suppose it's possible that it was boxed incorrectly. EDIT: I have filled out a return form with them today, but I don't know yet if they have the right one. Still trying to hunt down a definitive answer as to what I need. Edited June 26, 2015 by jnorion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOONGA Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 this one perhaps ? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Distributor-Cap-Gor-Nissan-And-Subaru-1-6-L4-And-1-8-H4-/261936343170?hash=item3cfc9f6882&vxp=mtr The type and year of your motor would help in tracking down the correct distributor cap. TOONGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnorion Posted June 27, 2015 Author Share Posted June 27, 2015 That certainly looks like the right one. The application list on that ad doesn't match my car, though, which is I think why I've been running into problems. The car is a 1978 DL. To the best of my knowledge it has the 1.6L engine, as that's what would have been in there from the factory, but I bought the car a month ago from craigslist and know none of its history so it's entirely possible that something in there is not stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOONGA Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 Looking at your cap again it is different to the one listed on Ebay sorry Is there a part number on the distributor? if worst comes to worst there are these distributors on Ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Distributor-1977-1979-Subaru-car-Brat-2WD-Int-50443-/371005321042?hash=item5661a3ef52&vxp=mtr http://www.ebay.com/itm/Distributor-1977-1979-Subaru-car-Brat-2WD-Int-50443/371005320335?_trksid=p2047675.c100010.m2109&_trkparms=aid%3D333008%26algo%3DRIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D31192%26meid%3D370e4d75d8304a748d14d534aab1265b%26pid%3D100010%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D3%26sd%3D371005321042 TOONGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOONGA Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 ok Im pretty sure this is the cap you want http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Sorensen-GP-22-5026-Ignition-Distributor-Cap-1976-87-Subaru-Car-Truck-/381148854839?hash=item58be3dfa37&vxp=mtr It has the offset lugs next to the screws TOONGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbosubarubrat Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 $5.93 with free shipping http://www.ebay.com/itm/1976-77-78-79-80-81-82-83-84-85-86-87-88-1989-subaru-distributor-cap-/261844680038?hash=item3cf728bd66&vxp=mtr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnorion Posted June 27, 2015 Author Share Posted June 27, 2015 ok Im pretty sure this is the cap you want http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Sorensen-GP-22-5026-Ignition-Distributor-Cap-1976-87-Subaru-Car-Truck-/381148854839?hash=item58be3dfa37&vxp=mtr It has the offset lugs next to the screws TOONGA Ah, yes, good catch. Definitely rotated correctly with the mounting screws not dead center. $5.93 with free shipping http://www.ebay.com/itm/1976-77-78-79-80-81-82-83-84-85-86-87-88-1989-subaru-distributor-cap-/261844680038?hash=item3cf728bd66&vxp=mtr Sweet, can't pass that price up! Bought it. We'll see if Rock Auto can come up with a correct replacement... if so, i'll have a spare as well, which is never a bad thing. Thank you both for helping out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 FWD or 4WD ? This one you need I suspect to be FWD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnorion Posted June 27, 2015 Author Share Posted June 27, 2015 It's a 4WD, but perhaps the distributor wasn't for that originally? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnorion Posted July 9, 2015 Author Share Posted July 9, 2015 OK seriously, WTF kind of distributor do I have on this car? I received both the one from ebay above and a replacement from Rock Auto, and although they both have the captive screws, neither one is correct. The screw holes are offset incorrectly. Look at the bottom mount hole: Here's the side-by-side comparison of the screw holes: This one's close enough that I may be able to just hack it together... the rear screw goes in just fine, and the whole thing sits nicely on the inner lip of the distributor, so I can probably just clamp the front somehow. Still very frustrating though. For reference, here's the inside of the distributor: Looks like that could probably also use a good clean and rebuild, but I don't think that's causing any of the current problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbosubarubrat Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 I would just swap it out for a hitachi with the module in the distributor at this point. I've got one if you can't find one closer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnorion Posted July 9, 2015 Author Share Posted July 9, 2015 You mean just swap out the whole distributor, right? I'm leaning that way at this point. Even if I do figure out which cap fits this, it would be nice to have a more standard option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbosubarubrat Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 Yeah that's what i mean. With the hitachi distributor you can usually walk into the parts store and buy the cap right off the shelf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 you might try cross-reference with weird isuzu from the era. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdweninger Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 OP, dude ... I would take up turbosubarubrat's offer for the stock hitachie disty. He's straight up. I have purchased several parts from him. Get rid of the franken distributor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnorion Posted July 15, 2015 Author Share Posted July 15, 2015 Good to have the review, but we've already been PMing about that in the background :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jono Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 I read that someone asked for the part number of the dizzy which may help - don't yet see it in text, maybe in pics ? Anyone notice the direction of rotation on the top of the two caps when pictured side by side ? Not that it matters a lot, but one is counter, the other clock ! Time to do a distributorless , multi coiled ignition !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnorion Posted August 3, 2015 Author Share Posted August 3, 2015 I read that someone asked for the part number of the dizzy which may help - don't yet see it in text, maybe in pics ? Anyone notice the direction of rotation on the top of the two caps when pictured side by side ? Not that it matters a lot, but one is counter, the other clock ! Time to do a distributorless , multi coiled ignition !! You're not missing anything in text or in pics... I haven't been able to find a part number on either the distributor or the cap. Haven't actually removed the distributor from the car, so it's likely that it's hidden in a hard-to-find spot. I did notice that the rotation arrow on the cap was different, but I also didn't think that actually mattered. Does it? The contact points should be the same either way. That being said, the image on ebay didn't show that arrow, so I didn't know it was marked differently til I received it in any case. How would one do a distributorless ignition on this car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coxy Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 Maybe a Suzuki LJ or Sierra is what it looks like, I believe they sold them as a Chev badged Mini Jeep Clone in the states, Geo Tracker seems to ring a bell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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