I put my distributor back in tonight (correctly, I think) after reading many posts about the process (didn't mark the rotor when it came out ). Thank you, everyone who has posted about that.

Let me start out by saying that my car is a 91 Formula with LB9 (I have tpi and external coil and EGR in the way). How in the world do you get to the bolt that clamps the distributor down? I bought a distributor wrench but it is useless. The only thing I can think of right now is to cut the wrench near the 12 point end, cut some off, and weld it back together so that the wrench is about an inch shorter. Am I missing something?

What do you do to tighten/loosen your distributor hold-down bolt?

Also, could someone post a picture of the area immedately around the distributor on the pass. side (i.e. EGR vacuum lines and bracket, coil bracket, etc.) just so I can make sure I hooked it back up correctly?

Thank you. I may have my Formula back on the road by the end of the week or so--no more driving the Astro van to and from college for me! :lala: :lala: :lala:

 

I usually use a long extension with a 9/16th wobbler (TPI and TBI w/ remote coil). But on my TPI car with the large coil-in-cap distributor, I've not been able to get to that bolt without taking apart more than you should just to adjust timing... piece of sh.......

 

An offset distributor wrench works for me. Sorry, I don't have a photo, but they are available at a number of places.

 

Same way you got it out!

 

Wow! I got replies from 3 of the best people to get replies from :rockon:

I got the bolt out after the coil and EGR bracket had been removed. That is a retarded design if you have to remove that stuff just to adjust timing.

I'll try the wobbler. I don't know if the wrench I was trying to use is called offset or not. I attached a drawing of the tool I'm trying to use. It really would have been nice to have AUTO CAD available--it took forever to draw it using Paint.

What I'm thinking of doing if the wobbler doesn't work is to cut out a about a one-inch section from the bottom, horizontal section (right hand view) and then welding the 12-point section (shown as a "ring" in the top view) back on so that the horizontal section (right view again) is an inch or so shorter.

 

I just took a torch to a 9/16' box end wrench. bent the closed end to a 90*.

 

That's exactly it.

 

That's what I did. Took a distributor wrench and heated and rebent it to fit.

 

A distributor wench has always worked for me. I do agree with the heated wrench though too, I have done that before.