What should be replaced when rebuilding a distrubitor?

[JR]

I'm tying up the loose ends on my drivetrain today, and now I need to get to the distrubitor.


My 70 440 Charger has long ago been changed to electronic ignition with a later model distrubitor, but it has sat on a shelf the past 4 years during the resto. It worked fine before I started the project. I have a MSD 6AL ignition to go in it, and I would get the msd dist. too, but I'm on a shoestring budget here.

What should be done with my distrubitor? I plan on replacing the reluctor and the pickup, anything elese I should do? What should the gap be between the reluctor and pickup? I may have had it too close last time, as I see some small chunks are missing in the reluctor teeth.

Anything elese I should do?

[GreenMachine]

   I believe the gap needs to be .008". When you get your new pick up coil, it will have instuctions for the gap. When I did mine, the instuctions said you could use twice the thickness of the instruction paper for the gap. You have to set the gap with the vac. advance both in and out. On a big block the reluctor needs to be installed with the pin through the slot on the opposite end of the arrows. That's about all there is to replace. I would clean up the weights too. I put di-electric grease on the pivot and base, don't know if that's what you're supposed to use but I haven't had any problems.
   One more piece of advice is to use correct size pin punches during disassembly, If you're not careful you can break the plastic piece on the shaft under the base of the distributor.
   

[Nacho-RT74]

the distribuitor collar plastic piece is available so you can replace in case that breaks.

I replaced the housing bushings that tipically get worn on BB because the dist position. That could make you set the gap incorrectly and IS VERY NOTICEABLE when you set the gap on rest vacum position and when vacuum is working... REEEEALLLY noticeable. I tried to set the pick up on resting vacuum position at .008 ( green is right ) and started teh engine... in a week the reluctor points were noticeable bited, so I had to mill the reluctor points and open the gap a little bit untill found the problem, bushings enlarged.

Since bushings are not available down here I ended making them on a machine shop. Where custom made since shaft was also polished. Probably not too much different from stock measurement though