Distributor Question

Topic: Distributor Question (Read 3459 times) previous topic - next topic

Distributor Question

January 04, 2011, 12:42:18 PM

I am looking to replace the distributor in my '85 Thunderbird with the stock 5.0, and have noticed that Rock Auto advises that there is a steel gear and a cast gear, and that they are not interchangeable.

Is there an easy way to tell which gears I have or do I just yank the dizzy out again and check?

The reason is a drivability issue, bucking under light acceleration mostly going up hills. I pulled KOEO codes and got a 14. On the Ford Fuel Injection site this shows to be "Two or more successive erratic Profile Ignition Pickup (PIP) pulses occurred, resulting in a possible engine miss or stall."

I replaced the Ignition Control Module on the side of the distributor with very little if any change. So I am wanting to replace the whole thing in one shot if possible since the car has somewhere over 400K if I am right. I figure a new dizzy wouldn't hurt, and it would save me from trying to pull the old one apart to get to the stator since I believe the new dizzy comes with one in it.

Sorry for the NOOB questions all the time.

Distributor Question

Reply #1 – January 04, 2011, 01:53:17 PM

86+ SEFI 5.0 with steel roller cam=steel distributor gear.
85 and down 5.0 with iron flat tappet cam=iron gear.

Distributor Question

Reply #2 – January 04, 2011, 11:08:29 PM

Thank you very much for your help thunderjet302.
I will go ahead and order the cast gear one in a bit to have it ready for the install this weekend.

Distributor Question

Reply #3 – January 05, 2011, 02:25:27 AM

the new dizzy may come with a new stator assembly in it or you can replace the old one.

getting a new dizzy wont include motorcraft parts, probably cheap china knock off parts at best so look to be in there inside of 10k miles at worse case if not a year or two.

It isnt worth the risk of not using motorcraft parts on those two items.
get em from the dealer if you can now.

Distributor Question

Reply #4 – January 05, 2011, 02:49:05 AM

Good points, I will check to see if the dealer can get them. The one I was looking at on Rock Auto was a Motorcraft unit, but I will do a little reaserch and make sure the stator is a Motorcraft unit in there as well.

I would also want to get the Motorcraft ignition control module, but since I just replaced that I may hold off on it for a few weeks until payday. I had just replaced the ICM a few months back, and am thinking the stator in the dizzy is bad now after the last ICM change last week that made little if any differance.

I can't see me fighting with getting the dizzy apart to replace the stator assembly. With the high mileage on the motor I am going to assume the dizzy is getting worn. I don't know what the car had done to it in the first 200k miles of it's life, but everything appears completly stock and unchanged aside from what I have replaced.

Distributor Question

Reply #5 – January 09, 2011, 03:41:14 PM

Okay, so the new dizzy is here and I want to make sure it is right.

The dizzy is stamped: E4ZE-12131-AA (as is the one in the car)

However, there is a sticker on the new one that reads: E5TE-12127-BA

and the Stator shows:E8ZE-12A112-A2A

The gear appears to be a cast to me:

Still need to look at the distributor cap, as I think this one requires one that uses two screws, where as the one in the car has two clips that hold it down. I think they are compatible(?), just need a different cap and rotor(?).

So, does that look right to you all? Sorry for the questions, but I figure it is better to ask before I mess it up.

Distributor Question

Reply #6 – January 09, 2011, 03:58:14 PM

as far as the cap goes , there is a "cap adapter" that screws to the distributor that the cap clips to , you will need to swap it from your old one .

Distributor Question

Reply #7 – January 09, 2011, 06:02:25 PM

That makes sense, thanks hypostang.