Oil in Distributor cap boot????

I've been searching threads for hours,and would appreciate help from the experts.It's an '82 2v.I was experiencing "popping" and "sluggishness". I slipped off the boot on the distb cap on the rear bank fire wall,and about 1/2 quart of oil was sitting in there.Does someone have a thread can can walk me through this? From what I've read,it's a cam seal....is that the only seal between the dizzy and cam? Do I have to remove the cam to replace just this seal?I've stopped for the day,haven't taken the cap off yet,just want to know what I'm getting into here.
Thanks in advance for your help guys.
Carter

 

I do not know about the procedure for replacing the seal but no doubt your distributor cap is quite full of oil and the seal needs replacement. I had this procedure performed on my 85 QV and do not think they removed the cam or the bill would have been more.

 

The bank next to the firewall is the front bank. My '82 GTSi replacement of the seals only required removing the distributor mounting plate, pull and replace the seal. There is an o ring on the tip of the cam between the rotor mounting tip. Hope this helps. Rgds Wayne

 

The carb version has a coupling, a seal, an oring, and then the distributor stuff goes on top of that. The 82 2V injected version has an aluminum plug, a coupling, a seal, and an oring. You want to replace at least the seal and the oring, plus the gaskets. Robert Gavin with a GT4 was able to source a perfectly sized oring to stop the oil leak. You will want to PM him.

 

My '81 GTSi had no such O-ring, sealing up the rotor button mount to the end of the hollow cam shaft. It was merely glued and then pressed and pinned in. You will not find that variation in any manual I could find.

I have the EU 1000.00 bill from Ferrari of Bayreuth, Germany, (Autohaus Isert GmbH) to prove it.


The only way to find out is to drill the pins and check. If you find an O-ring or something left of one, replace it. You have nothing to lose but money and you already have demonstrated you are willing to throw some of that away by buying the car in the first place so you might as well do it right.

This is a definately a "While you are there ..... ," event.

Good Luck.

 

Let's not go nuts here kids and try and keep this simple. Replace the baseplate seal, I recommend doing both. Simply remove the caps then the rotors followed by the base. Tap the old seal out using a socket and a small hammer. Press the new one in and put everything back together. Inspect the cam surface for any unusual wear. Re-assemble and enjoy

 

If that alone works (cam seal and baseplate gasket); GREAT!

IF not, Oh well.


Several times I have (re)learned the value of "doing it all and doing it right, the FIRST time."

YMMV.

 

No argument on doing it right the first time but the cam seals are a pretty common fail point and a relatively quick repair (under an hour). Taking the cams out for a breakdown and doing the major that goes along with it could be necessary if the seal replacement doesn't correct the issue but it could also be like doing open heart surgery for heartburn.

 

No argument.

I would just hate to tear it apart A-G-A-I-N.

Doing it AGAIN, is what really chaps my rosey red baboon butt.

 

Also known as the "assemble, disassemble, re-assemble gumption trap" and I hate those.

 

And it makes our parts suppliers richer ........ Ah, well ........

 

May as well add the tool supplier as well.......

 

I have a question related to this thread, so I am reviving it.

My QV engine is generally pretty dry in terms of oil leaks. But one day last fall, I suddenly noticed a pretty large puddle of oil under the car. Maybe a half pint of oil on the garage floor. Since then, nothing.

Fast forward to this weekend. I am doing QA-1's on the rear end, adding braided steel brake lines, and replacing the trans oil. So I have the inner fender out of the car and I am looking directly at the bottom of the rear bank distributor for the first time. Sure enough, it's oily and is pretty obviously the source of the leak. But it's dirty enough to indicate that it's not pouring out oil like it did that once.

So what is going on here? Did the car experience a sudden spike in top end crankcase pressure? Why just one big leak and then not a drop afterwards?

I have the car this far apart, and I while I hate to add another to-do item to my list, it seems a bit silly not to do this seal while I have the car apart.

Thoughts?

 

Wipe it very clean and dry and check it again in a couple of weeks.

Then go from there.


That is what I would likely do if you have no drops on the floor or frame below the dizzy.

 

That's exactly the answer I was hoping for. Right now I am trying to get the car ready for the FCA track day at VIR in early March. That's a lot of stress on the car. I think I'm going to keep an eye on this, but order the seal and o-ring just in case it gets worse in the next month or so...

I just don't want the thing to let go leaving me stranded.