The starwheel is held located by a small U shaped spring clip. Take a pair if snipe nosed pliers and CAREFULLY compress the U and lift it out before trying to remove the starwheel. DO NOT LOSE IT!
The wheel must only be pulled up with your fingers, do not use any sort of tool on it or it will break.

 

I'm aware, it's been off for this entire debacle. The wheel is simply seized onto the shaft

 

Are you able to access the 3 allen head screws that hold the distributor to the engine? You might want to remove the distributor and soak it in evaporust, that should loosen things up.

 

Yes I can access them. As stated earlier in the thread, I cannot remove the distributor even with a pry bar against the valley plate. It has corrosion welded itself to the block, hence why I'm trying to do all of this with the distributor in place.

 

Right about now I'd be pulling that valley plate - I think you are just stacking up issues persisting with trying to do things in situ

 

Any idea how hard it is to remove the valley plate? I've never really seen anyone on here talk about it. At a quick cursory glance, it looks like the 2 bolts nearest the distributor on A bank can't really be accessed with the upper distributor body in place

 

Don't recall them being that hard but you may struggle with all the other crud in the area - the biggest pain was the PZ4 (or PZ5 I can't remember) on the ends had to use an impact on those. I'm looking for a picture from the rear - sure I took one but it isn't leaping out at me.

 

While I have the AC Compressor out anyway, it seems like the best time to try. The entire valley is soaked in diesel/atf and has been for the past week so it shouldn't be too difficult. I'll have a go at it tomorrow or Thursday.

 

Just watch those pozidriv countersunks - don't try a phillips in them - and a tap or two from an impact driver may help reduce the beer quantity.

 

I have one of those manual impacts with the correct bits, I'll give it a go.

I just went out to have another look, and my mech advance has entirely freed up at this point. Travels nicely, doesn't get caught, springs back as it should... All that's left to do is the vac advance, if I could see how it was mounted to the plate, and if it's possible to remove it without removing the star wheel... I'd be done with this entire debacle.

 

See if this offers any clues - it is held on a peg - I do have a distributor on the shelf so could get more pics ... the vac advance actually pulls on the 'orangy' plastic and moves the plate, thus adjusting the poit where the reluctor wheel triggers.

I think the plastic just lifts off there's no clip on the vac advance I don't think - I could figure out for sure but won't be for 24 hrs ... kinda late here (UK)

 

I see what you're saying. On mine the orange-ish plastic piece is separate and just guides the cable for the pickup. Looks like the advance on mine is mounted to a peg on the metal plate under the plastic piece (and star wheel). I gave it a bit of a wiggle and it didn't pop off, so I'm just curious if there's a spring clip or something on the underside, don't want to break it.

 

Check this out - Distributor Advance

Check the roll pin ...

 

Interesting thread, so it's just on a peg on the advance plate and needs to be wiggled off, easy enough. My roll pin is (mostly) out, I'd say like 85% of it is sticking out of the bottom, broken 3 punches to get to this point, just hoping I can get some small pliers on the underside and wiggle the rest out.

 

Just on a peg yes, which is my understanding, that roll pin is probably still somewhat engaged - you should be able to move the plate by pulling on the vac capsule if the pin is free - if you can't pull the vac capsule then the pin is engaged or that too is siezed in the distributor body

 

Bucklespring, have you removed th circlip and the wavy washer below it, to remove the starwheel?

It might be possible to change the vac capsule without removing the starwheel and unscrewing the pickup, but I do not think so.

 

Yes, way ahead of you. Still no movement from the star wheel whatsoever. Although at this point, since the mech advance is free, I have no immediate need to continue trying to remove it... Just have to install the vac advance now.

 

I understand; good luck, if you manage it, that will be a useful bit of know-how.
Have you tried rotating the starwheel to loosen it?

 

Yes, I removed the plastic wire guide for the pickup to get better access, and even with both hands on it, I can't get it to rotate on the shaft. Tried a couple of small flathead screwdrivers opposite each other under the wheel as well and it didn't come off before I decided to stop before I broke it.

I already got the vac advance rod off of the advance plate, so it's simply a matter of driving out the pin the rest of the way and installing the new one.

I figure I'll flush out the remaining mixture down in the bottom of the distributor with some hot water, suction it out a few times, blow it out with the air gun, and let it dry for a day before soaking it down in some silicone spray to keep it nice and lubricated (and non-flammable of course)

 

i would not let hot water anywhere near it!! Brake cleaner will do it and evaporate in no time.