1850 distributor rear bolt

[Bumpa]

I have just spent an hour trying to get the rear bolt into the distributor mounting on my 1850 and all I have to show for my troubles is a badly grazed arm and a foul mood. I have lost count of the number of times I have dropped it to lodge somewhere out of sight. There must be a way of inserting it - whatever did the service agents do back in the day? I'm sorely tempted to really tighten the front bolt and leave the other one out. Please help. My sanity is at stake here.

[dollyman]

Hi Mike, if you have any welding rod? (the old thin stuff) Make a holder to go around the bolt with a small piece on the top and you can guide it into place and still turn it with fingers until you get it in a few turns and then pull the rod off. If you cant grasp what i mean? Let me know and i do it to a bolt and send you a photo

Tony.

[Bumpa]

Hi Tony, sounds like a plan. A photo would be helpful if you don't mind.
Mike

[dollyman]

Hi Mike, you can use copper wire from 2'5 twin and earth if no welding rod. Just bend to shape.
Hope get the gist, it's a bit hard to explain.

Tony.

[marshman]

Good tip Tony.

I would also add 2 things:

1. If you have removed the distributor makes sure the threads in the retaining plate for the mounting bolts are clean, run a tap through them if you have one. Similarly clean the threads up on the bolt and "test" screw the bolt in before refitting the distributor.

2. I think the original bolts had a point on them - maybe wrong - to help guide them into the hole. If yours have not then it is easy to grind or file one on. If you do run a nut on the bolt first so you can unscrew it after to clean the thread up if necessary.

Did both these on my Sprint recently when I changed the distributor, had no trouble getting the bolts back in just with my finger tips.

Roger

[Bumpa]

Thanks gents. Tony, I see what you mean and I have plenty of old mains cable I can strip to give me a piece of copper wire. Roger, putting a point on the bolt is a good idea. My bolts are flat ended., but I know the threads are nice and clean and free running.

[MIG Wielder]

Hi Mike, My way of doing this is to fit the front bolt, then rotate the distributor until its adjustment is at one end, and the front bolt is holding the distributor in place. This then gives you a datum to drop the rear bolt in at the end of the adjustment range and start to tighten it.. At which point you can reset the distributor to the middle of its adjustment range, and reset the timing dynamically.
Then finally retighten both bolts.
Tony.

[Bumpa]

Tony, thank you, thank you. The trick with the loop of wire to hold the bolt worked like a charm and it is now in and tight. Phew! Hopefully I won't be removing that for a loooong time.
Mike

[dollyman]

My pleasure Mike, so glad it worked for you. i have used that many times in the past. A shame it wont work on nuts

Tony.