Back in October of 2012 we installed a D.U.I. distributor to the bare engine without any of the accessories such as power steering pump and alternator, not realizing that the power steering pump and bracket would be a problem occupying the same space as the distributor. Well if your an AMC V8 fan with one of these distributors installed you will know what I mean. There just isn't a happy solution. Either the vacuum advance is under the pump or the electrical connectors interfere with the pump to the point that the connectors can not be removed and that pump belt adjustment is compromised. Removal of the distributor cap is necessary. It has been a thorn in our side ever since. So since a new fuel pump was ordered from RobbMc Performance (which we will cover in another post) removal of the distributor made sense at this time because eliminating the fuel return filter and associated hoses would be done. We started out by orienting the engine to tdc on the number 1 cylinder, noted the position of the rotor and also the position of the star wheel and star ring so that we could semi accurately reproduce timing without starting from scratch. A

gauge of 1/8" was required to position the star wheel. We then pulled the distributor and tried different positions with nothing that was satisfactory. Again the power steering pump was the problem along with the bypass hose for the water pump. After close examination it would work if we could rotate the cap 180 degs. on the housing putting the vacuum advance directly front and center and the electrical connector at the 11:00 position clearing the upper radiator hose. Only problem is that the cap can only go on one way which is dictated by a notch in the housing and a corresponding tab on the cap. Another notch 180 degs. from the other would work. So we figured what the hell, lets make

another notch. It had to be precise. The diameter of the housing is 5.16 x 3.14 = 16.202 circumference / 2 = 8.101. That is the distance half way around to a point 180 degs. from the original notch. A piece of masking tape 1/4" wide was cut to that length and starting at the right edge of the notch was applied clockwise to the housing to the opposite side. It was then repeated from the the left end of the notch and applied counterclockwise. Scribe lines were marked and a new notch was cut into the housing. The cap could now be installed 180 degs. to original. Just a side note rotating the cap can only be done in 90 deg. increments to allow the 4 hold down pins to engage in the notches on

the bottom of the housing to hold down the cap. Also the 3 wires were lengthen 6" to reach the new cap connector position. The plug wires would naturally change location on the cap but stay in the same position eliminating the need to modify the wire length. Now everything is accessible, and the power steering pump can actually be moved for belt adjustment. When the distributor was reinstalled the housing was moved to the position by using the 1/8" gauge to line up the star ring and star wheel. We were rewarded with the engine firing right up and to double check with a timing light we were within 2 degs. of what the timing was before we started. To prevent the cap from being position back to

its original location a 2-56 socket head cap screw was threaded into the housing blocking off the notch.