Cap And Rotor

kmborland · June 6, 2011

Hey guyz, I am doing a tune up on my truck and am replacing cap, rotor, wires, and plugs. I have hit 2 little snags. 1, the rotor wont come off. idk how i am going to get it off. i know it is press on but it wont move no matter what i do. 2, the last spark plug by the collector (i have shorties and that in the way of every plug.) i can get a spark plug socket around it or even a wrench. i can get a small 5/8 socket on it but there isnt enough bite to get vice grips on it. need help.

hanks for any help

Doug_Scott · June 6, 2011

Hey guyz, I am doing a tune up on my truck and am replacing cap, rotor, wires, and plugs. I have hit 2 little snags. 1, the rotor wont come off. idk how i am going to get it off. i know it is press on but it wont move no matter what i do. 2, the last spark plug by the collector (i have shorties and that in the way of every plug.) i can get a spark plug socket around it or even a wrench. i can get a small 5/8 socket on it but there isnt enough bite to get vice grips on it. need help.

hanks for any help

The rotor is made of softer stuff than the shaft it is stuck on. Take a look at the new one, see where the pin is in relation to the part of the rotor that is sticking out (the part that actually gets close the spark plug wire on the cap), and use side cutters to cut away at the old rotor. Avoice the temptation to just twist it off. Nothing good will come of that according to murphy. Try to not get any of the cuttings into the distributor. Maybe wrap a paper towel around the base of the rotor.

As for the plug, have they been changed since the shorty's were installed? If so, then there must be away of doing it. You post did not have any negatives in it, so I am not sure if you mean you can't get a spark plug socket or that can, but can't get to the socket with a ratchet. There are some pretty fancy sockets out there, I have one with a double flex in it for the late 80's ford mini van. How badly corroded are the bolts on the exhaust where they attache to the shorties? Sometimes it is faster to actually do more work.

GMstrong · June 6, 2011

Never seen headers that are in the way of plugs.I have flowtech shorties and i have no problems,The rotor shouldnt be on there tight.should be able to move it back and forth and pull up on it.the last thing i would do is cut it off.

gregrocks89 · June 8, 2011

i had edelbrock shorties on my old 98 and i had to them them off everytime i had to work on my plugs

kmborland · June 8, 2011

thanks guyz, the rotor looked to be the original rotor from factory. looked almost rusted on. i broke it off with channel lock. for the spark plug, i just went out and bought a small socket so that i could get the plug out. its all finished. its strange, i have good bit more power. i guess the truck was in need of one for a while. i need to change the coil though.

GMstrong · June 8, 2011

yea the stock coil is plain awful look at msd.

kmborland · June 8, 2011

i just got a stock replacement. tell why the the 2 bolts are really hard to get to? one bolt is under the fuel lines and the throttle linkage bracket. Looks like i am going to have to disconnect the fuel lines just to change out the coil.