H Distributor Shaft Removal?

We have the distributor out of the neighbor's H. The shaft is extremely stiff, but can be rotated by hand with effort. I think it is best to disasemble and clean up the shaft and bushing. He is thinking soaking in penetrating oil is the answer. Well it is his machine but the penetrating oil (have taken the plug out and added there) has not worked yet.

I am unfamiliar with the way the gear is held on the shaft. The pin retainer does have a small head stil protruding from where is was inserted. I am assuming you have to take the drive gear off to remove the shaft.

How is that pin extracted in order to remove the gear from the shaft? Also let me know if the gear has to be taken off. This guy is kinda gun shy with me taking things like that apart.

thanx

I believe it is a roll pin. drive it out with a pin punch, or make one out of a concrete nail with a grinder. With solvent in the housing, Cup of distributor facing up, I would spin the shaft for a while with a variable drill.
Push and pull on it to work solvent into the bearing. It will loosen and be easy to take apart. Jim

The pin is riveted in place, grind or file one or the other off till you can the out line of pin through the gear, drive out with pin punch. the the gear should come off with little problem.
Clean reassembel, use a pin to replace origeanal.
rivet in place. JLE

Since you need to remove parts from the distributor cap end before the shaft will come out I suggest starting there. After rotor and plastic dust cover is removed, remove the point arm and stud with insulater that passes through the distributor housing. Remove 2 screws that go in the cap clips and another screw half way between them. If you left the condenser or point half in the steel plate, use them to help pull the steel plate from housing. Under the plate will be a weight gaurd. If someone put a screw to long in the condenser mount you may find the gaurd mangled or the screw was hitting the guard. Thats one thing that could be your problem. 2 screws removes the gaurd from the distributor shaft, then you can see the advance weights and springs to make sure things are okay there. If the shaft still doesn't turn free there's only a porus bushing in the housing that the shaft passes through, Soaking or penetrating fluid may free it up, then put some oil in to soak then grease. If you want to remove the shaft, originals are a solid pin through gear staked or swelled on each end. Sometimes there's play between gear and shaft in the holes, so most times I just make a pin to fit. Have used roll pins a few times doubled up, one inside another but always afraid they may loosen sometime. There's also a oring seal for the shaft in the gear end of housing that would be replaced if you remove shaft from housing.

Maybe mine had been apart befor, The roll pin was for sure in it. Jim

This particular dist seems to be a little different than others have encoutered. I am familiar with restoration of them on a JD, Ford, and Allis. this gear is held on by the pin that is not drilled all the way through the shaft. The end of the pin only shows on the side that it is pressed into through the gear and into the shaft. It could be some what of a taered pin but the end has the appearance of a roll pin.

Anyhow I saw the owner this afternoon and he says to put it together tomorrow morning and let her rip. So that is what we will do. One saving grace is that it looks like the advance still moves.

So much for getting it right before it goes back together but each to his own and I am sure it will run for hopefull another decade or so.

Good advice but I never have much luck. The pin is real tight and I have to use a small punch. Not a good combination.