Distributor vent plugs

[MUTT Vet]

I kept having problems with my old distributor so I just replaced it with a new electronic one from FLMV.

I installed it in the jeep and it when in like butter, which is unusal; they're normally tough to line up.

However, when I went to unscrew the vent plugs I couldn't get them off. I spent about 30 minutes trying to get remove them but before I stripped the heads off I had to stop.

And before I took a sledge hammer to it and went on a puppy kicking spree, I figured I should get on here and get some advice.

Anyone got any ideas or tricks I could try? I don't want to have to drill them out.

[Cobra5]

It looks as though the distributor was paint after the screw was installed. I'd take a scribe and scratch around the diameter of the screw head to break the paint seal. Also you can try and give it a little heat to loosen it up. Another trick is to try and tighten the screw first and then try to loosen it.

[rickf]

Take a new screwdriver that fits perfectly. If it has flats on the screwdriver that is good, if not then you will be putting vice grip marks on it. Put a wrench on the flats or vice grips on the round part up close to the handle. A little heat would be good, the distributor is aluminum and the plug is steel so they will expand at different rates. Now lean, and I mean REALLY LEAN on the screwdriver with the distributor on the bench and turn with the wrench/vicegrips. It should come out, if you feel it starting to slip then stop. You can try more heat but remember there are electronics and wiring in there! This is where left handed drill bits shine. If all else fails and it strips then you will have to drill it. The left hand, or reverse, drills turn in the unscrew direction and nine times out of ten the part screws out before you are done drilling.

Rick

[MUTT Vet]

Go suggestions, i'll give them a try and let you know if it works. I've got some easy outs that i may have to use instead of left handed drill bits.

[Austringer]

I would not recommend "easy outs" as the only thing easy about them is breaking them off in the screw/bolt you are trying to remove. Then you have another issue which might require a welder or a trip to the local machine shop (where they will laugh and make fun of you for your "issue".)

Jason

[rickf]

As Jason said, Easy outs are only good for dumpster liner! Anything you put in the broken bolt that spreads the hole out will just jam it tighter. I did have a set of broken stud removers at one time that were splined and required a specific size drill and then you drove in the splined remover. It still expanded the bolt but nowhere near as much as an easy out. With them the harder you try the tighter it gets until it breaks,

[halftracknut]

Lube with WD40 or similar...put your tight fitting screwdriver in slot and tap rapidly with a small hammer...then try to move the plug first to tighten and then to remove...this usually works for me...

[Francis Marion]

Worst case, you can always use the old body with the new internals.

[MUTT Vet]

Finallky got those sons@b!tches out! I soaked the areas in paint thinner over night which took off all the paint. That didn't work so i put some heat to it and that didn't work (I may not have kept the heat on it long enough but i didn't want to burn the internals). Then i drilled a small hole all the way through and that finally worked. The hole must have taken the pressure off.

But now with the new distributor in, the jeep runs great. It had the points kind before and now with the electronic there is a difference. Might just be that the old one was junk but any way, the jeep doesn't sputter going up hill anymore.

Thanks for all the advice!