Hello all,
I have a coolant leak that I can't explain. replaced rad, changed all the hoses, including the lower relay hose which required removal of the D-cap.
i thought i put it all back together correctly but the car wouldn't start... so i took the distributor off and saw i'd broken the end piece that connects to
the cylinder... see the picture below.

can i just replace this part? i really figured this was idiot proof, but obviously i didn't line it up properly. how do i avoid this problem in the future?

 

On '95 and earlier cars you remove the snap ring and the pin slides out. On '96/'97 and possibly 98-02 cars, the pin is press fit in and can be a ***** to remove/install.

How not to break it?
Don't force it. It can only be installed one way to keep the cam to dist timing correct. If you force it on 180° out then the tabs would break.
Use a flash light to verify where the offset is in the cam, then line up the offset with the distributor and gently push it on. The only resistance should be from the (lubricated) distributor O-ring. Anything more than (single)hand pressure is too much.

 

Thanks! I didn't notice resistance when I put the dcap back on but maybe I had it misaligned when I torqued it down? Or when I tried to turn on the engine? Either way I would say 180 off is a good bet. I'll see if I can't get it off and find a replacement. Hopefully dont need a whole new assembly. Thanks for your help!

 

Also it's a 99lx

 

did a junkyard swap out, was more careful putting it in and now the car starts! getting an error code and the rad fan isn't working. neither is the AC but that was an intermittent issue before this whole mess so i probably need to change out the controller in the cabin.

either way you were right, thanks!

 

its actually possible to install the end piece 180 degrees out when you put the pin in so hopefully its running good

 

yep. almost certainly what i did. it's running smooth now, but it's throwing an error code and the rad fans aren't working. could that be related to the new distributor or more likely something i screwed up at reassembly? i get continuity but no voltage on fan cables. the ECT is giving 12v.

 

I know on the early model accords it gives out 5 volts reference at the engine coolant temp sensor but I'm not too sure the setup on a 99 accord. I know at some point they are together with the sender. I actually had a brainfart in the other thread, it should be continuity at the fan switches instead of battery voltage.