TO-20 Distributor PROBLEMS!!! 6-volt system

Bottom line, I NEED SOME HELP!! Did I get a bad distributor or am I doing something bad, bad wrong. Just tell me and I"ll stop or change or something. My distributor turns CCW (this is correct from all the information I have) - does this matter to the distributor or are they made to turn either direction? This is not fun anymore.

The new distributor may have 10 hours on it - probably less. Bought it from this site.

Thanks for any direction you can give.

Stan

Grampa, I am really glad my difficulties are timely for someone. It helps to know someone can profit from this experience.

Jerry & John,

I accept what you are saying as a likely cause. The question in my mind is - did the distributor come apart, seize, and cause the camshaft to push it out or did the camshaft problems cause it all? I understand how the camshaft moving back and forth is not good and could cause the distributor to be pushed out. How does that destroy the advance mechanism inside the distributor? The first distributor was the one that was on the tractor when I got it 15 years ago. It appears the broken advance weight was wedged inside the distributor in such a way that it would not turn.

I have come to trust the information you give on this forum - it has been great for me. I am not questioning your experience, knowledge, info, and advice - I am seeking a greater understanding of what is going on inside this engine.

Jerry, at the risk of sounding elementary I am going to ask - How do you check for proper gear retention after you pull the timing cover? The only way I see in the manuals is to do a complete engine tear down. Does this have anything to do with the govenor?

Again, thanks for any info. John, thanks for letting me know I have run into something that is not in the manuals - my wife accuses me of always having the unusual happen.

Stan

I don't know what manuals you have but you don't "have to do a complete engine tear down." I have never done this job but in looking at the shop manual and the parts manual, this is what I do if i had this problem. Someone else mught have a better suggestion.

You have to remove the hood and the radiator , pull the crankshaft pulley, remove the timing cover and the governor drive assembly nut. Push and pull on the timing gear. There should be virtually no motion(0.003-0.007 ") fore or aft on the cam. If the motion is greater than 0.007" you need a new thrust plate or the the thrust plate is loose. If so, then pull the cam gear and do what's required.You are not going to remove the camshaft so all the other stuff in the Ferguson Shop Manual doesn't apply. I wouldn't classify that as a complete engine tear down. It's a bit of work, but at this point, what choice do you have?

Hope this helps you.

Thanks for the info. Is there any type of inspection/tests of the cam shaft, movement, gears, etc. that can be made from the distributor shaft opening? I have not had the time to take the front off yet. Just got the distributors totally disassembled today.

Thanks for the info. Basically I follow the instructions for checking the working of the govenor and access to all those parts. That"s what I was thinking about doing - it just helps to have confirmation from someone with a lot more experience and knowledge.

Are you sure that your cam gear isn't loose, allowing the cam to move and pushing the distributor out? If the previous disributor failed in the same way, I'd pull the timing cover and check the gear retention on the cam. That could be the problem. If that isn't the problem, where are you getting your distributors from? If you had two in a row fail in a similar mannner and the cam is OK, whoever is supplying the distributors should get you one that doesn't self distruct.
And yes, the distributor turns CCW.