Re: Removing distributor

Posted by HH56 On 2021/9/19 10:55:08

I believe 54 is still like the earlier models. There is a flange holding the distributor which is fastened with two bolts to the block.

Once you have the crank rotated so #1 piston is at the top of compression stroke as per the service manual, the two bolts need to come out so you can pull the distributor up. You may be able to just raise the distributor an inch or so to pull the shaft out of the oil pump gear and rotate the rotor 180 to the correct position. The tip of the rotor should point to approximately the 7 o'clock position. If the entire distributor is rotated 180 so the vacuum advance is in the wrong spot then you need to go a step farther.

There is a clamp affair built into the flange which actually holds the distributor and loosens so you can slightly rotate the distributor for timing. A slotted screw head for tightening the clamp is just below the distributor body and may be hard to see. The flange is supposed to bolt to the block one way with the octane adjust scale and slot to the left. That clamp bolt needs to loosen so you can rotate the distributor in the clamp 180 to get the vacuum advance at the proper spot and the clamp back in the correct orientation to bolt to the block.