Replace distributor shaft - 1993 Nissan Pickup

Without better information, I will assume you are saying the distributor gear has teeth missing or stripped. While replacing the gear is easy, you should first determine why it is damaged. You failed to mention what engine you are working on, but be aware that roller cam engines require a different distributor gear than non-roller types. In either case, bring the engine to TDC with cylinder #1 in firing position. This can be found by either putting a compression gauge in the # 1 spark plug hole, or have someone gently put a finger over the plug hole to feel when compression is pushing air out. Next, mark the position of the distributor body to the engine, and remove distributor and examine gear to find the roll pin which holds the gear in place. Set up some wooden block to hold the end of the gear without blocking the roll pin and using a punch smaller than the pin, hammer the roll pin out being careful to catch the pin on a cloth beneath your work. Obtain the correct replacement gear and install it on shaft using a small screwdriver to hold it in place. Check for excessive end play of distributor shaft and add shims if needed. Reinsert roll pin, then reinsert distributor, making sure that the rotor points to #1 plug connector on cap. The distributor will rotate some as it drops into place, so this may take more than one try. Note: if the distributor will not go all the way in, it may be necessary to use a flashlight and look down the hole where distributor goes to see the shaft the bottom of distributor must align with. You can use a long screwdriver to turn the oil pump drive shaft if needed. Install distributor hold down and tighten just enough to allow some resistance to turning distributor. Start engine and adjust timing.

Final note. Reasons for distributor gear damage include: stuck oil pump; bad cam shaft gear area, bad bearings in distributor or other distributor problem; and even a very worn timing chain causing crazy vibration (rare).

Undo the retainer bolt and lift the distributor out. Mark the rotor position and the distributor position in relation the block at the base. You will need to press the shaft out to replace the pickup, do not dmage the drive gear on the shaft.

Your cam sensor is inside the distributor. Problem is they list it as a Stator, not a sensor. on newer models, the sensor replaces the entire distributor. To remove it, you need to take the distributor out of the engine and remove the center shaft etc.

Remove the distributor cap. Mark the location where the rotor is pointing by making a scratch mark on the distributor housing. Remove the distributor adjusting bolt and bracket. Remove the distributor. Replace with the new distributor by placing the rotor on the shaft and turning the shaft until the rotor aligns with the same place as the mark on the old one. Install the bolt and tighten. Start engine. If your engine does not run, remove the bolt and distributor and turn it 180 degrees and replace.

n these engines the distributor engages in one position. You can remove the distributor cap and make a relationship with the rotor and wing position in the same manner to attach the new distributor (check that the rotor shaft coupling with the pump shaft oil)

Since it's not clear whether you mean driver side or passenger side, I will address both.

On the driver side, the most common leak is from the distributor. This can be caused by the distributor shaft exterior o-ring, or it can be caused by the distributor shaft interior bearing seal. To determine which it is, remove the distributor. First detach the spark plug wires, then undo the bolt that holds the distributor to the head, then pull the distributor out of the head. You will see the o-ring on the exterior of the distributor shaft. This is a $0.50 part, so just replace it with a new one as long as you have the distributor out. The bearing seal is on the inside of the distributor. To inspect it, undo the three bolts holding the cap to the distributor body. Pop the rotor off the shaft, the unclip the inside plastic cover. If you see any oil inside the distributor or the distributor cap, this means the seal is leaking and must be replaced. You can get a seal and bearing replacement kit from kbox.ca. Or, you can just buy a new distributor. Note: To get the distributor back in place you must align the shaft correctly with the notch in the camshaft. There is a right way and a wrong way. If the shaft seems to be aligned but does not go in, pull it out and rotate it 180 degrees, then put it back in.

The other possibility on the driver side of the engine is the main seal between the engine and transmission. If this is the case, you would have to either drop the transmission or pull the engine to replace it.

What if the oil is leaking on the passenger side? If it's coming from behind the timing belt cover, there is a camshaft seal and a crankshaft seal, both of which can leak oil. To get to them, you will have to remove all accessory belts and the alternator, remove the exterior crankshaft pulley, remove the engine mount (support the engine) and the timing belt covers, remove the timing belt, then the crankshaft pulley and/or camshaft pulley, whichever is necessary to replace the leaking seal(s).

Where else could oil be leaking from? If it's coming out from near the top of the engine, that's the valve cover gasket. Remove the valve cover and replace the gasket. While you're at it, replace the spark plug tube seals.

If it's coming out from near the bottom of the engine, it could be the oil pan gasket. Remove the oil pan and replace the gasket.

One more possibility for oil leakage: The head gasket. But in this case you would have noticed other symptoms besides just an oil leak.

Good luck! Let us know how it turns out.

Remove the spark plug wires from the distributor. Loosen and remove the distributor mounting bolt(s). Pull the distributor out from the head. The o-ring is on the distributor shaft. The old one probably needs to be cut off. The new one will stretch and slide into place over the shaft. Put some engine oil on the o-ring, and re-insert the distributor. You will need to turn the shaft to the right position to get it to fit back in place.

If you suspect that your distributor is leaking oil because of a bad o-ring, a new o-ring may fix the problem. However, make sure that the distributor shaft bearing seal is not leaking. You can check this by removing the distributor cap and looking for oil inside the distributor. If the bearing seal is leaking, replacing the o-ring will not solve the problem. You will need to rebuild or replace the distributor.

Your distributor bushing is bad, causing the distributor to wobble when running. Get it checked out for repair and/or replace the distributor. Take off the cap and check the play in the shaft that the rotor is attached to first.

Does "entire distributor aseembly" include the metal gear shaft??
If so, you must remove the distributor again and re-insert it in the proper gear groove.
Normally, you "mark" the distributor and the engine with a marker before you remove the shaft so that you can replace it so the gears mesh in the correct position.

You can use "trial and error" to reposition the distributor or you can:

1. Turn the engine to the "Top Dead Center" (TDC) position so that the distributor rotor points to the #1 cylinder sparkplug wire.
2. The rotor on the distributor shafdt should be positioned to "point" to the #1 sparkplug wire.
3. Re-insert the distributor gear shaft.

Please comment if you need better detail...

if you mean ignition rotor you need to replace the timing belt