[V8] Re: Broken Distributor cap

[Mark K]

The steering rack control arms have a little bend in them to give 
clearance to the distributor cap.
If you flip them over, they can still be installed, but they will break 
the distributor in the first few miles of driving.
My 'expert' Euro car service center did this twice, before I discovered 
what the problem was.

Mark K


Cc: MHLIGGINS at aol.com
> Subject: [V8] Broken distributor cap
>
>
> Ok, here's why I asked about the distributor caps/rotors.  I had the 
> power steering rack R&R'ed last week; picked her up Saturday morning.  
> Rack isn't leaking, which is good (thanks Jorgen.)  Drive about ten 
> miles, stop, open hood, have a new p/s leak.  This one is from the 
> pump, hence the pump questions.  The further I drive (had to run 
> beyond Nashville to get the new tires put on and the alignment done), 
> the worse the car ran.  Acceleration was a little balky at first, then 
> got to be like a horrible surge.  Got the tires/alignment done, and 
> started immediately for home (160 miles away.)  About ten miles into 
> the drive, pulled over, left the car running, popped the hood.  Left 
> distributor cap was jumping up and down like it was on a trampoline.  
> Saw a crack in the orange part of the cap (the underneath part.)  Used 
> zip ties to keep it kinda close to on, then limped home, literally.  
> Last 70 or so miles felt like a four cylinder pulling a two ton car.  
> I am going to take it back to the shop to get the distributor cap 
> replaced.  FYI, had to take the broken cap off to see which type of 
> rotors I have (got the push-on type.)
> Here come the questions: I'm going to trailer it there.  Should I even 
> attempt to start it?  The cap won't do any good, so I could unplug the 
> wire to the cap so it wouldn't try to send any spark.  Should I unplug 
> the injectors if I do that?  Flooding the engine on one side wouldn't 
> be good.
> How much damage have I done to the engine so far?  What else should I 
> look for that might have been broken by me driving it in the current 
> condition?
> Also, the inside (orange) part of the cap had a lot of pieces missing. 
>  I found a few, but it seems like there should be a bunch more.  Two 
> explanations: one, they were broken out and he just put it back on 
> anyway; two, maybe there cap saw so much wild spark that it burned 
> them up?  I'm sure #2 isn't possible, but maybe it is?  I've heard of 
> weirder...