993Porsche

bump.

nsully

Hi Ken,
Just a couple of suggestions.
Pull off the cap so you can see the rotor as it lines up with the #1 mark on the distributor housing.
Remember, the cut of the gear is going to rotate the shaft as it engages. Start with the rotor a degree or 2 before the mark so that it will rotate into position once it is fully engaged.
The oil seal/O ring really puts up a fight. I believe that is the resistance we feel on removal and the resistance you are feeling now. You may want to give a quick check that the O ring is properly seated on the shaft. Lube it up real good and try to give steady pressure.

I have only done this twice but that is what worked and both times I was always surprised at the amount of force I used to get that thing to seat fully.
Good Luck,
Neil

Mike J

BTW, I never bother to line up the engine to TDC. I just mark both rotors position on the case with a good marker, and restore the distributor rotors back to that position. There is nothing magical for the removal or installation with TDC.

It can act as insurance in case the marks get screwed up, but there is quite a bit of difference in the rotor angle if the insertion is on the wrong gear, so it hard to screw up that part.

As far as Ken's problems getting it back in, I am trying to help him. The gear looks right, so it might be just finding the correct gear spot. I usually lubricate the O ring seal, and it does not require much force to slip back in. I find most parts of these cars slip together just right if done right ; but if you have to force it, check out what you are doing.

Cheers,

Mike

993Porsche

As an update, I finally got that blasted thing in. I haven't finished putting it all together yet, but at least it's a good start. So, hopefully, I'll crank it up tonight. The clearance on many of our parts is simply incredible. I wanted to confirm it was the O ring giving me the headache, so I took it off and it meshed into its housing perfectly. So I followed your suggestions and made sure it was firmly fitted in the grove and KYed to death. I also took off the cap so that I could push on the primary dist with the new ring in place. And with a lot of #@$ curse words, it gradually popped into place. Fortunately, with the pre-installation pics I'd taken earlier will hopefully and correctly adjust #1 TDC marks. But it isn’t over yet folks, so stay tuned.

You guys are the best,

Ken

tigerrat

I've really enjoyed this thread as this project is nearing the top of my list. I've got the belt and pin but someone mentioned a kit which also contains some o-rings. Could you say more about the kit and where to get it? Thanks, Ken

Archilla

Ken,
How did your old belt look when it came out? Mine had about 100k miles and looked basically fine when I removed it...not what I expected based on the observations of others here that have done the job.
-Ruben

993Porsche

The part #s are all included in the DIY. It's just the little details that aren't.

Ruben, my belt looked almost like new. It wasn't frayed, or shredded. But it was a little stiff/firm. I think that I had another 50k left on her. And for a car that's pushing 180k, I think that speaks volumes for Porsche's workmanship. Check out the pics.

Ken

Mike J

There is one large O ring which is the seal from the case to the distributor. You do not have to normally replace this, but I do recommend that you take it off and lubricate it, to make sure the O ring remains pliable, and for easy insertion (cannot believe I just said that).

So you should need only the belt and the copper pin.

Cheers,

Mike

tigerrat

Ok, thanks for the info in the o-ring. I've got 51K and 12 yrs. on mine and plan to tackle it sooner than later. Ken

IXLR8

My dual distributor was really stuck and had never been out since it left the factory. The rotor even has 93 for a date code.

Not wanting to use anything in a prying or wedging manner, I used a slide hammer I made a long time ago, along with some vinyl coated stainless steel aircraft cable, some vinyl tubing and some cable clamps.

It came out in under a minute.

Mike J

Good idea, thanks! I will try that on the next one...I have the slide hammer, but its hard to get the foot under the bottom of the distributor and not damage it.

Cheers,

Mike

95_993

Taking advantage of the car being in the garage for another month here in NE, I decided while doing plugs, caps & rotors, wires, etc...I would pull the distributors after 20 yrs and get a new belt. Although the my car only has 60k on it, after 20 yrs its not worth "rollin' the dice" to squeak a couple more years of it.

Some great ideas to free up the distributor. Without a slide hammer, I improvised and used a nylon tie-down looped around the distributor and the other end around a small sledge hammer. Holding the head of the sledge hammer in my hand and using the weight/momentum, I gave two quick pulls....popped right out, nice and straight.

Now it's off to Steve Weiner.

71-3.0-911

I got my distributor back from Steve about 2 weeks ago. Great service and great work. I was able to steal about 15 mins of his time and talk through the repairs and got an education in the process.