How to fit a Distributor

Its a common misconception that an aircooled distributor will just slot right in. For anyone fitting a new distributor here’s what you need to look for so it will fit nice and snug :

Whether you have a 009 or a SVDA the distributor drive shaft is notched as you can see below. What you can also see is the notch is not straight down the middle, it is offset to one side. This stops the distributor from being fitted 180’s out, therefore it can only be fitted one way.

To refit your distributor do the following :

1. Put a smear of oil on its o ring.
2. Fit the clamp, ensure the clamp is fully up the shaft and not too tight that you cant move it.
3. Take off the cap and fit the rotor arm.
4. Take a look at the position of the drive shaft and the matching part on your distributor, line them up as best you can and slide the distributor in. The image below shows the drive shaft and distributor removed from the engine and how they need to be aligned.
5. Ensure the clamp hole fits over the engine case stud. If you get this wrong the clamp wont allow the distributor to be seated properly.
6. Push the distributor in by hand and gently rotate the rotor arm to get it to line up.
7. If its tight then a tap with a hammer may be needed, use a small piece of wood and a hammer so that you don’t damage the distributor. Tap on the body of the distributor only, never the rotor or shaft!
8. Keep rotating the rotor arm and you will feel a ‘clunk’ as it sits in properly.

Trouble shooting

• Sometimes the above may need several attempts, the better you can have the drive shaft lined up before fitting the easier it will be.
• The aftermarket clamps can be of very poor quality, I advise getting OEM or using a billet FastFab.
• If the distributor just wont be seated, try without the clamp as a test and check you have the correct O Ring as sometimes you are supplied multiples in a kit.
• Lastly if it still won’t fit you may need to remove or re-position the drive shaft using a drive shaft removal tool :