<VV> Distributer shaft

[Lonny Clark]

As long as the roll pin is still there, and it sounds like it is, it should
be fine. I think mine has more up/down play than that, and it's fine. My
timing doesn't wander or anything like that. When the engine is moving, the
force of rotation will "push" the distributor shaft so that it won't move up
and down. What you really need to look at is if the timing wanders, that can
be caused by number of things - lateral runout in the shaft, weak advance
springs, loose points plate, etc. Hook up a timing light, at idle your
timing should never change.

For uneven idling, check your linkage if it's a dual-carb setup. if one side
is bound and holding the throttle plate open a little you can get a bad
idle. Check your ignition wires/plugs.

Lonny

On Mon, Jun 6, 2011 at 5:30 PM, Doug Mackintosh <dougmackintosh at yahoo.com>wrote:

> I don't know the tolerance, but I had the roll pin supporting the thrust
> washer
> on the shaft at the bottom of the housing (which controls upward movement)
> break
> on one of my distributors. It moved up enough to grind the mechanical
> advance
> pins off against the underside of the points plate, eventually causing a
> spring
> to come off and wedge against the shaft, locking everything up. I think it
> also
> was hitting the underside of the cap. Not sure which will make contact
> first
> (the mechanical advance mech or the rotor/cap).
>
>
> It is easy enough to check for the problem I had - just pull the
> distributor and
> look at the thrust washer/roll pin.
>
> Ralph asked:
>
> <<With the car idling unevenly I started looking for obvious signs of
> things out
> of place, I was visually checking the internals of the distributor. I
> noticed
> evidence of the rotor hitting the plastic base of the contacts on the cap.
> Like
> just once or so, but still??? So I tried to twist the shaft, it moved very
> little. I tried to pull up on the shaft, I was able to lift it 5/64". What
> is
> the tolerance for this?
> I know more about driving that wrenching, but I would like to give my
> mechanic
> some intellengent direction, in this problem.
> Thanks Ralph
> 65 Corsa 140>>
>  -- Doug Mackintosh
> Corsa member since 1996
> Corsa/NC member since 1996, Virtual Vairs member
> Corvair owner 1969-1971 and 1996-on
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