Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
STOP!! Never post your email address in open forums. Bots can "harvest" your email! If you must share your email use a Private Message or use the 
smilie in place of the real @
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
I am among those innocents loathe to remove a distributor for fear I'll screw up its replacement. But now I am preparing to paint my BN7 engine in situ with the very expensive recommended paint, and it seems it would be helpful to remove the distributor. At this point I have the coil, generator (with fittings) , and the distributor cap with wires out of the car. Ditto, the valve cover. I have also drained the coolant to allow removal of the various hoses so that I can paint the exposed metal pieces. Can I safely unbolt the distributor (it has electronic ignition) and lift it out, assuming I have the battery disconnected (and I do), anticipating it will return as removed, and will it require resetting the timing? Also, I have painted the exhaust manifolds at the engine with a proper heat resistant paint, and am considering painting the intake manifold. This is suggested as the factory practice by the authors of the book usually recommended for concours restorations. That manifold is has an excellent unpainted aluminum (?) finish, and a lot of cars I have seen don't have the manifold painted. Since my car has a Toyota 5-speed, so I have no pretense about concours, but I am intent on making it a really nice driver.
-
Hi Guest!
If you appreciate British Car Forum and our 25 years of supporting British car enthusiasts with technical and anicdotal information, collected from our thousands of great members, please support us with a low-cost subscription. You can become a supporting member for less than the dues of most car clubs.
There are some perks with a member upgrade!**Upgrade Now**
(PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Distributor Removal Perils
- Thread starter RDKeysor
- Start date
Share this page
AUSMHLY
Yoda
Offline
You should reset the timing when you put it back in. I've read the timing should be set at either 10, 12 or 15 degrees BTD. Maybe someone will chime in which is best and that reason. Tach setting ranges from 500-1000 also.
The easiest way to set the timing is to use a timing light with a dial on it. Set if for the degree you want, then line up the pointer with the notch. If you use a digital timing light, my understanding is it does not work well with copper spark plug wires, other wires no problem.
The easiest way to set the timing is to use a timing light with a dial on it. Set if for the degree you want, then line up the pointer with the notch. If you use a digital timing light, my understanding is it does not work well with copper spark plug wires, other wires no problem.
You could remove the 2 screws holding the baseplate and take out the distributor/baseplate assembly without disturbing the clamp bolt. When replacing, turn the rotorarm carefully until in slots in the drive and the baseplate drops onto the engineblock. That shouldn't alter your setting.
I'll be taking Andrea's advice, but I thank all for suggestions. I had the distributor cap and wires off, with the balance covered by a plastic bag. I now find that a rubber band at the bottom pulled the bag tight enough that the surfaces needing painting are exposed. I have a lot of stuff off the engine, so one less thing to reinstall seems like a good idea.