# Distributor Problems



## majorbacon (Apr 16, 2012)

Anyone have ideas for might be causing a distributor to bind? Was working fine, but this spring tractor would not start. In diagnosing the problem, noticed lack of spark. Replaced points and condenser and then noticed that the spring clip which retains the breaker plate was not seated completely.

Strange thing is that when the clip is raised on one end by about 1/16" the shaft rotates freely, but when I push the clip completely into place, the shaft no longer turns freely and requires quite a bit of torque to get it moving.

Any ideas how to solve this issue?

I realize this may not be keeping spark from happening, but it does seem as thought the shaft of the distributor should turn more freely.

Forgot to mention, 1947 8N front mount distributor.


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## jhngardner367 (Apr 5, 2011)

It could be that the shaft is being moved up/down,by the drive gear,causing the clip to move,and binding the plate. 
I had this happen on my 1974 Nova,at highway speed,and it tore up the oil pump,and distributor.
Install the distributor,and have someone crank it over,while you watch the distributor(cap off). If it moves more than .030 ",there's something pushing it up,and you may have to remove the front cover,to check it.


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## majorbacon (Apr 16, 2012)

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately not the case here. Distributor is on my work bench and not in the tractor. Noticed the problem when replacing the points. Something is out of "whack" but I cannot visually see the cause.


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## jhngardner367 (Apr 5, 2011)

Is it possible that one of the screws, that hold the points to the plate, is too long/hitting something ?
Any chance some foreign object (screw/clip,etc) fell in ?


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## Lancee3 (Oct 18, 2012)

I am not sure I got this right ,but the distributor is out of the machine? If so it might be wise to take the shaft out and clean the bore and shaft. MEASURE the bore and shaft.the runout you are talking about is ?from a gear of is the drive an offset blade. I am not familiar with this machine so to help hereI am asking and answering.The oiling system is usually either engine oil,oil drip cap and I have seen grease resivours with a screw cap to turn to push the grease in. If the shaft has taken on water corrosion will bind the shaft.Lack of maintainance,besides some poor designsare the major causes for malfunctions.Point burning out is usually the key left on. a blue pivot arm can be corrected with a ballast resistor in the run position.


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## majorbacon (Apr 16, 2012)

*More Info*



Lancee3 said:


> I am not sure I got this right ,but the distributor is out of the machine? If so it might be wise to take the shaft out and clean the bore and shaft. MEASURE the bore and shaft.the runout you are talking about is ?from a gear of is the drive an offset blade. I am not familiar with this machine so to help hereI am asking and answering.The oiling system is usually either engine oil,oil drip cap and I have seen grease resivours with a screw cap to turn to push the grease in. If the shaft has taken on water corrosion will bind the shaft.Lack of maintainance,besides some poor designsare the major causes for malfunctions.Point burning out is usually the key left on. a blue pivot arm can be corrected with a ballast resistor in the run position.


This distributor is unique design in that is has a plate with two tines which mesh in only one way to the opposite plate on the tractor = when you take it off it only goes back on one way, so you cannot mess up the timing (unlike a geared shaft distributor.).
I have completely taken the distributor apart several times and cannot find any visible reason for the binding. When I put the whole thing together, the distributor turns freely as it should. There is a spring clip which fits around the top of the breaker plate and holds the plate and complete distributor assembly in the distributor housing.
There are bushings at the bottom of the distributor and top (just under the rotor mount part of the shaft.) and all seem smooth and not at all out of spec.
The weird part, is that if I do not fully engage the spring clip, all but one end in place, the other end about 1/16" from being in the groove, the distributor turns by hand quite freely. As soon as I push the clip completely into the groove, the distributor turns, but it takes much more force than it had before completely seating the clip.
Perhaps it is supposed to be this way, but it defies my sense of mechanical logic and before I replace the distributor I would like to verify that one or the other (loose or tight) is correct.


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