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Any one know what the Renix distributor rotational play limits are? I have some obvious play in mine. Is it too much? I have no idea.
I don't think the Renix distributors were all that much different than later ones. There shouldn't be much play rotationally. I want to say less than a 1/4" forwards and back total. Lateral play from worn bushings can cause a tick but is unlikely to cause running problems unless its truly excessive.
As far as I know the distributor gear is made softer so it will wear before the cam. The gears can last a very long time but in other cases they don't for whatever reason. We had a guy at last years Colorado Fest who's distributor blew out on Red Mountain Pass before he ever got to the trail. He started backfiring on the grade and pulled off to the shoulder. As I recall that one was so shot you could turn the rotor 1/8-1/4 turn or something like that. Basically the distributor gear was worn to nubs. Oddly he drove it all the way from Virginia Beach to Ouray before it happened.
The gears are helical cut and the rotation along with centrifugal force is likely to seat the shaft fairly solidly.
One thing you can try is a timing light, if the timing mark is steady and doesn't jump around you are likely good to go.
IMO lateral play in the shaft from worn bushings is likely to be a bigger factor. Wobble can make the rotor to cap gap variable and erratic.
You can quick check your initial distributor setup at TDC 1, but in my experience the initial rotor position has a pretty wide envelope and the ECU adjusts.
The gears are helical cut and the rotation along with centrifugal force is likely to seat the shaft fairly solidly.
One thing you can try is a timing light, if the timing mark is steady and doesn't jump around you are likely good to go.
IMO lateral play in the shaft from worn bushings is likely to be a bigger factor. Wobble can make the rotor to cap gap variable and erratic.
You can quick check your initial distributor setup at TDC 1, but in my experience the initial rotor position has a pretty wide envelope and the ECU adjusts.
Short of installing a defectively built Distributor that was not assembled properly, or using a 91-2000 dizzy, I never understood what the purpose of the indexing was. My distributor has worked perfectly, for 11 years, 70,000 miles with no issues since I replaced it 11 years ago.
I see that indexing write up in the Snap-on troubleshooting manual as a fix for stumbling, but it does not say why. I recall that only being needed when there was a problem with the dizzy being used to replace a bad one.
Did you ever run across any other reasons for doing it? A properly built Dizzy should be self indexing, one just has to do the 4 o'clock deal and grab the proper gear tooth.
Post 8 tells you why.
Does the later model procedure not work? Something like turn the flat head screw to 11 o'clock and put the dizzy in at 1 o'clock and it will wind back so everything lines up and the hold down lines up perfectly not work on Renix?
I know that's the procedure on post Renix era engines and if it don't work something is out of time and it won't work with a poop.
Does the later model procedure not work? Something like turn the flat head screw to 11 o'clock and put the dizzy in at 1 o'clock and it will wind back so everything lines up and the hold down lines up perfectly not work on Renix?
I know that's the procedure on post Renix era engines and if it don't work something is out of time and it won't work with a poop.
Sacrifice a cap and do the procedure.