How Hard to Change a Distributor
 

I was wondering how hard is it to change out a distributor on a 1997 Camaro Z28?

Here is some idea of what you have to do.

it's fun :)

Wow - that sure looks like fun. Congradulations GM, that was brilliant!

:funny:

It's really not to bad. Your very first time, shouldn't take longer than 6 hours, that includes trips to the parts store, taking your time, learning, etc.

I can do an opti swap in about 2 hours, but I've had lots of practice.

I like how in the write up it stated" There is a bolt behind the a/c pulley" even thought its actually the power steering pulley lol.. Oh well we all make mistakes

yeah funny how it takes 6 hrs for the first, 4 hrs for the second, 3.2 hours for the third etc. etc.

Haha, changing the plugs is similar to that too.

You are always welcome to come up here to Iowa (as if you have any reason to) and change mine for me :P

i can tell by your avatar

Yeah this was my first time, and I think i knocked the timing off!!

Unless you install it wrong (which is very difficult to do) there is no way you can screw up the timing.

I put the new one in the same way I took the old one out, but for some reason it won't start..

It's not the timing. Make sure you have all of the plug wires and optispark connector fully seated.

ok i'll check all of those tomorrow first, before I start removing everything again. I thought I might need to take the distributor out and get it back to TDC then put the distributor back in.

True, last few I did in 45 minutes each on my old firebird when troubleshooting a timing/spark issue. :nod:

45 mins for a opti swap, I call BS...

My car didn't have emissions and all the extra bs crap on it, but yeah I honestly could do them in 45 minutes. I also pulled that entire motor/tranny out in an hour and 15 minutes, I've done MANY of these, know exact bolt sizes off the top of my head and don't screw around. :nod:

Not to be an "azzhat", but does your car have a water pump on it? Just draining the cooling system, refilling and "burping" it, will take 20-30 minutes all by itself.....


I realize that at 57 years of age, I don't have the "energy" for these projects that I used to have, but all the mechanical experience I've acquired over the years helps me "cut to the chase" on some jobs. But an Opti change in 45 minutes??

I was chasing down an ignition glitch on my '96 Z-28 over the winter, while the car was off the road. I had the Opti out a couple of times. I know that working in a cold garage isn't ideal, and can slow you down a bit. But after the first removal, I knew EVERY step, and every tool I needed, so that saved time. But it still took me closer to 1.5-2 hours, from initial drain of the radiator to car-running.

So do I, that's why I am calling BS. Also, I have no emissions crap either.

+1. Under two hours is reasonable... but 45 mins??? C'mon dude. If you mean just changing the opti, and not bolting everything back up, not torquing it properly, not connecting all the water pump hoses, not filling and burping the cooling system, then I can see 45 mins. But if you say you are doing all of the above, get out of here.