Oil built up inside distributor

[jim5644]

I have a 1972 IHC Cub and I'm getting what appears to be oil inside the distributor cap. The distributor shaft seems tight, but after operating the tractor for 3 or 4 hours there is enough oil to cause the tractor to lose power and skip under load. Once the oil is cleaned out it does find until the oil builds up again. Do I just need a new distributor or is there another cause? If a new distributor is needed does anyone have a suggestion as to the best place to buy one?

[staninlowerAL]

Sounds like the seal needs replacing to prevent engine oil from getting into the distributor. Search the "HOW TO" Subforum for info or the search feature at the top right corner of this page. There have been several posts in the past on this topic.

[tst]

bad governor seal in the block

[Glen]

Hi,
Welcome to the website.
It sounds like the oil seal at the Battery Ignition unit drive is leaking, a sort of common problem. That lets engine oil into the Battery Ignition unit.
It is not the Battery Ignition unit causing the problem.
You should check the ignition points, and keep oil off the points. Wipe it off them with a clean rag.

The Battery Ignition unit is driven by the governor gear.

Below is a pic of the drive, and the 2nd pic shows the seal.
Turn the engine to number 1 cylinder TDC before removing the Battery Ignition unit, so you don't lose the timing.
The 1st pic shows where the drive should be turned at number 1 cylinder TDC.
When removing the Battery Ignition unit, don't tip the front end of the unit down, the drive shaft can slide out of it, then you will lose the timing. The shaft can be put in it in many positions, only one position is like it is at the present time.

Some people have removed the seals without removing the governor, by drilling 2 holes in the old seal, putting in large self tapping sheet metal screws, on opposite sides of the seal, and prying the old seal out.

The 3rd pic, from TM Tractor, shows the surface of the governor gear that the oil seal runs on, on the right side of the pic.
The surface needs to be flat and smooth for the new seal. Sand it with fine sandpaper if it is rough.
If it has a groove worn in it, try to position the new seal in a place where there is no groove.
The seal lip has to face ahead when putting the new seal in.
Be sure the seal lip stays facing ahead as you put the gear surface through it, and that the lip doesn't turn backwards.
Oil the seal rubber, and gear surface when putting the new seal in.
Don't hammer directly on a new seal, put wood, or flat metal on the seal, and hammer on that.
Some people have made a driver to put in the new seal in the hole.

After you get the engine to run again, check the timing using a timing light, the Cub service manual says, for a Battery Ignition unit.

TM Tractor at the bottom of the page has a new oil seal.
Below is a listing for it.

http://www.tmtractor.com/new/gv/436fp.htm

[ricky racer]

Great post Glen!

[jim5644]

Hey guys,

Thanks so much for the information and help

Jim

[Glen]

Hi,
Thanks Ricky and Jim.
The Cub service manual gives a measurement to drive the seal into the hole in the engine block.
I think nowadays the thickness of the new seal may be less than when the manual was made, so the measurement may not be right, using a new seal.
Also, if the new seal needs to be in a slightly different position to run on part of the surface where it didn't run before, because of a groove worn in the surface, then it would probably be a different measurement than the manual says.

Below is the page. The info is at the lower part of the page.

http://www.farmallcub.info/manuals/gss- ... 001-40.jpg