[200q20v] Distributor again

[Derek Pulvino]

Hey all,

I've seen people talking about how the distibutor is a replace only part, but wondering if anybody else has been able to unearth a possible alternate plan.  So far what I've come up with ties back into the VW 16v dist. which was also prone to oil leaks.  In a 16v owning friend of mines combing of the internet, he found a site that described how to, and where to source out a replacement seal for the dist. shaft in the 16v, thus curing the oil leak therein.  As circumstantial evidence, another thing I've heard along the way is that some parts for the V8 dist. (at least rotor, and maybe cap (are their two 4 plug dist. on that car?)) are interchangeable with the 16v.  My amigo also informed me that at the dealership he works at, when ever V8 owners come in with bad caps and rotors, the dealership doesn't follow the factory presribed replace whole distributor procedure, but instead just goes raiding the 16v parts bin.  Also, with my amigos 16v at the house, also figured out that at least the outer contact blade dimensions of the rotors for the 16v and the standard I-5 (read not the 20v rotor as Blau sent the wrong one) engine are the same as well.  I didn't check resistances which I wouldn't be surpised to find as the same, or the internal shaft receptacle dimensions which I will guess is the same.  Part number check would be a good confirmation of both of these, but it would appear on the outside that rotor for the V8, 16v, and 10v I-5 are the same.  

With the assumed/observed commonality of the distibutor shaft diameter on all of these differing vehicles, it wouldn't seem to outrageous to come to the conclusion that the seals would be the same size as well.  Is it possible that the seal dimensions are the same on the 20v t as the 16v? If not, then I'd assume the supplier would likely have the needed seal size. Either way, I think we have a cure for leaking distributors in the $2 price range, not $250. That still leaves several issues, one being the plastic drive gear.  Any ideas there?

The other issue is the hall sender.  I'm wondering what peoples thinking is on the possibility of an oil leak in the distributor playing into an intermitently fault code creating hall sender?  It would seem that a film of oil in the distributor/ on the shaft could interfere with the operation of the hall sender, but I'm not familiar enough with the operation of the hall sender to say for sure.  If that was the case, then the fault coding, intermitently igniting 20vt problem wouldn't be because of a messed hall sender, but a leaky seal, which could be fixed for $2ish not $250; plus postage and handling of course.  Any feedback?

Derek P