Noticed oil leaking through my dizzy cap...How difficult is it to change the "O" ring gasket inside the dizzy? Anyone here can refer a distributor shop? Bay Area preferred.

 

extremely easy. mark the dizzy mount on the cam cap with a scribe. remove dizzy. replace o ring. reinstall

 

Don't you have to dismantle the whole dizzy? I remember taking apart an old LS dizzy a while back and I almost stripped each bolt cuz they were all freakin tight I just don't want to start something that I won't be able to finish, that's all...

 

So source another "distributor". There is plenty around for sale. Then you can put a known good one on and practice repair on your leaky one.

Why do all the young idiots today say "dizzy" does that mean they are cool?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SIred91 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">So source another "distributor". There is plenty around for sale. Then you can put a known good one on and practice repair on your leaky one.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I would but mine is an obd1 dizzy with obd0 plugs...kinda expensive to replace especially when the "O"ring is only $2.00 dealer part.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SIred91 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Why do all the young idiots today say "dizzy" does that mean they are cool?</TD></TR></TABLE>

I hope you're not referring to me, mind you, I'm almost 40 Reason I used the word "dizzy" is to reach all peeps young and old...and it's quicker to type

 

The O-ring you need to replace is sitting on the shaft that goes inside the valve cover. I'd say it's the easiest thing you can replace on the distributor. Just mark it's position, undo the 3 bolts, slide the dizzy out, pull off the old O-ring (you'll probably see that it's torn or stretched), roll the new one on, and reinstall.

DIY trust me you can't mess it up

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mahatma &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The O-ring you need to replace is sitting on the shaft that goes inside the valve cover. I'd say it's the easiest thing you can replace on the distributor. Just mark it's position, undo the 3 bolts, slide the dizzy out, pull off the old O-ring (you'll probably see that it's torn or stretched), roll the new one on, and reinstall.

DIY trust me you can't mess it up </TD></TR></TABLE>

If the distributor is leaking from the "inside" then the internal seal will need to be replaced, not the external o-ring. To replace the internal seal you will have to drive the pin out of the bottom of the shaft of the distributor then remove the shaft from the body of the distributor pry out the old seal press in the new one etc. not as easy as "just replace the o-ring" if the distributor is leaking externally then o-ring is the way to go, but he said the leak is coming from out from under the distributor cap so that would indicate the seal not the o-ring

Now when I looked online for a diagram and the seal in question I don't find that seal listed separately so it may not be available without the whole distributor. Back in the 90's there was a Acura/Honda bulletin in which the seal, shaft and bronze bushing were replaced as part of recall for the distributor shafts seizing up due to insufficient oil getting to the bronze bushing, but it doesn't look like that is sold anymore

 

^^ correct, the most likely reason its leaking from the inside is the inner seal is bad. The reason it went bad is what you should look for. The bearing in the dizzy might be toast and excessive vibration and play in the shaft could have caused it to leak. I think you will need a new dizzy. and about the plugs, all you need to do is de-pin the plugs to put on the new obd1 dizzy

 

I guess I'm gonna have to open it up this weekend and find out which seal is broke...then go from there. Thanks for all your input.