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Brian, You are correct. The only way to remove the distributor plate is to remove the distributor from the engine. I would not encourage you to do something that you don't want to do, but removing the distributor is really easy. 1. Note the relative position that the rotor is pointing to, wherever it is. For example, it might be pointing at 11 o'clock, or 6 o'clock, etc. If you want to, you can try to mark something on the tractor just as a reminder to you of where the rotor is pointing, but it really isn't necessary. When I pulled mine recently, the rotor was pointing to 5:30. 2. Remove the nut on the coil that is holding the end of the wire that goes to the distributor. Don't lose the nut. 3. Remove the little bolt that locks the distributor in place when you are timing the engine. Before removing it, look at and note its relative position in the slot that it goes through in the base of the distributor. You're going to turn the distributor later so that the bolt goes back into the same relative position in the slot. 4. Lift the distributor out of the engine. It has a rubber o-ring on the shaft that seals out dirt from the engine, so the distributor is a little bit hard to lift out of the block, but it's not too hard. 5. When reinstalling the distributor, set it down into the engine with the rotor near to the relative location that you noted before you took it out. Push the distributor down into the engine. The distributor shaft will turn slightly as the distributor shaft gear meshes into the gear on the cam shaft that drives the distributor. With the distributor all the way down, if the rotor isn't in the right location, lift the distributor back out, turn the distributor shaft a little bit in the direction that it needs to go and reinsert the distributor. If the rotor still isn't in the right position, pull the distributor back up, turn the distributor shaft a little bit more, and put it back in. It's really easy. You'll end up with the rotor back in exactly the same position that you noted before you pulled the distributor. 6. Put the bolt back in that locks the distributor in place and turn the whole distributor so that the bolt is in the same relative position in its slot as you noted before you removed the bolt. 7. Re-install the wire that you removed from the distributor when you took the little nut off it. Since you didn't lose the nut, you will be able to put it back on. You can easily change the points and condensor while the distributor is out of the engine. It is a cinch to adjust the point gap to exactly what you want while the distributor is out of the engine. You'll still have to re-time the engine since point gap effects timing, but you'll have to do that no matter what. So, don't do what you don't feel comfortable with, but removing and replacing the distributor is really easy. Good luck, Tom in TN
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