Guy's
I replaced a vacuum advance can on a HEI distributer this week. When I pushed out the roll pin I found it was broken in two. Glad I hadn't used that distributer yet. Where do I get a replacement pin? Can I just use a hardware store pin? Seems like a critical part to take short cuts on. I've looked at places like Summit and they all show a 3/16's pin. Mine seems to be a 1/8 pin. Is this normal? Are Olds somehow different than Chevy's? I even have an old Oldsmobile distributer I ground the teeth off of to use as a oil primer. It seems to have a 3/16 pin. Whats up with that?



use the distributer yet.

 

It doesn't make any difference whether Chevy, Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Studebaker or whomever makes the roller pin & it doesn't make a difference what size one is over the other. Take one of the two pieces you have remaining, measure it and buy a new one at Ace Hardware or any reputable hardware store, cut it to length and use it. If you can't find one at the hardware (which would be difficult to believe you cannot), go to a small engine repair shop and buy one or most automotive parts houses, NAPA, etc.

 

After sourcing a pin, look at the gear, there is a dimple on the side. The gear should be installed so that the dimple and the end of the ignition rotor line up.

Good luck!!!

 

Thanks guy's. Off to the hardware store.

I didn't know about the dimple on the gear so I marked it with a sharpie before I took it apart. Interesting that it was 180 degrees off according to the dimple. The distributer body has "rebuilt" or "remanufactered" labeled on the side. I wonder if the "professional" rebuilder put it on backwards or if it has been apart since then.

Thanks for the input.

Cheers

 

Most of the pins I'm aware of are 3/16" x 3/4" long IIRC. I could be wrong. 1/8" seems a tad small. Maybe that's why it broke? I don't know.

Anyway, they're cheap. Good luck.