Distributor rebuild L-79 1966

[Jack P.]

Hi,

As some may know , I am having a timing and missing problem with my L79 66

I have owned the car since 1970 and it needed a new distributor in 1971

Dealer installed a replacement #1112020 , a sb 300hp 350 ci 1970 corvette distributor. date 4 0 15

Took it out and found that the lower bushing was shot and the main shaft worn in that area.

See pictures









Vendors list a main shaft for base engine and for HP

My L-79 is the hp engine

which shaft should I order and why ? Is the hp performance shaft for FI or TI

How do you get the old bushings out, Zip sells a tool to put them in , but how do you remove them?

Jack

[Patrick H.]

Re: Distributor rebuild L-79 1966

See other thread and the PM I sent you.

Patrick

[Timothy B.]

Re: Distributor rebuild L-79 1966

Jack,

That's one nasty looking main shaft in the lower bushing area. I am not sure the running clearance between the main shaft and bushing as this one may have been aligned wrong or to tight. A machine shop can probably install and line bore the new bushings straight, be careful here..

I would purchase the high performance main shaft as the difference is the auto cam that's brazed into the top. Use the factory weights and light springs to tune the centrifugal advance curve to be faster than what's there now. What is the part # of the vacuum advance control that is being used in the distributor.

Looks like the thrust washer above the lower gear wore a groove into the main shaft, make sure the distributor bottom area is flat where the washer rides, the thrust is up when the engine is running.

[Stephen C.]

Re: Distributor rebuild L-79 1966

Jack,

Wouldn't it be cheaper to try to find a replacement like this one?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Tach-Distributor-1960-1970s-Corvette-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQfitsZModelQ3aCorvetteQQhashZitem1c1cd9758fQQitemZ120743097743QQptZVintageQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

May be cheaper in the long run. All the housing are the same so the only things you'd have to transfer is the weights, vacuum can and metal serial band.

Steve

[Rich W.]

Re: Distributor rebuild L-79 1966

I just rebuilt mine an L46 in and out..I installed new bushings and installed a bronze bushing for the tach drive..getting the bushings out wasn't that hard..a long brass drift pushed them out fine..bought the install tool and bushings..had the machine shop line bore them..I did swap the cam on the old shaft to the new..was very easy to get off the old one..not so easy to get off the new one..its welded on there good..it would be nice if you could buy just the shaft and weld on the old cam so I wouldn't have to go thru all that trouble..search out my thread on it..I have pics and plenty of input from alot of smart people..

Rich

[Jack P.]

Re: Distributor rebuild L-79 1966

Well I only have 9 days left before I leave on my short trip (2,000) miles to Novi, MI .

Distributor is apart, it seems my go to guys (engine builder and distributor men here in Maine) developed amnesia when I asked them about taking out the bushings in my distributor.

Started to panic , and on the ride home, I stopped by Portland Transmission, They have helped me in the past with my M-20 rebuild.

I walked in with my distributor in a greasy white towel and the guy behind the counter said " You are going to have a mad wife "

I showed him what was in the towel and asked if he could help me.

He looked at the bushing, went in the back and came out 3 mins. later.

Said he was sorry that it took so long, "seems that the bushing was in there for a long time " and gave me back my distributor , bushing out.

I asked him how much and he said " Buy your wife a new towel "

Just goes to show you that, sometimes, most of the time people are great.

Parts come today and I hope I can put the distributor back in and have the car start

Jack

Notice the Stealth TI unit . One wire, and undetectable unless you take off cap.