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I was removing my distributor cap about an hour ago to view the rotor and connections. One screw came out fine while the other just snapped while I was unscrewing it. It was coming out fine until about half way. It didn't feel as if it was going to break but just snapped.

The good part is (I think) it's the screw closer to the front of the car which makes it easier to access.

Has this happened to anyone else before? Any suggestions for an easy removal or am I stuck with trying to get my drill in there to drill it out?

Thanks

no drill
drill bad
drill remove threads
use a good magnet and rotate it till it starts to move out
use some kind of clamp to pull it out if its not too far in
if its below flush with the ignition module then try using a VERY SMALL screw driver and tap it lightly till it makes an indention good enough to screw it out
if its straight through and there is no back bracing point just tap it through ( if not flush with surface of ignition coil)
if you cant remove it
time for a new dist
need coffee >_<
good luck

Theres nothing wrong with using a drill, thats why the make different bits.

Your going to need a very small sharp bit , bolt extractor and a steady hand. I would consider pulling the whole unit out if possible. Buy a tap to clean the threads after you have the bolt out.

If it got jammed then broke a magnet wont do anything

If you dont feel comfortable doing this dont do it! Take it to a machine shop it shouldnt take more than a 1/2 hr tops.

Good Luck

the reason i said dont use a drill is because if you ruin the threads its going to cost you about 250$ pluss time and effort to get a new dist and get it in correctly then set the timing

im not sure how much machine shops cost there or how trust worthy they are but i wouldnt trust them to get something like that out of 250$ part

If your attempting to repair somthing yourself you alway run the risk of fing up. s--- happens, if I dont trust the shop I don't go there. Common sense says don't pay cash, get a receipt, make sure they know its value and are prepaired to replace it.

Drill - You already have one
hardened drill bit - SHOULD already have a set
Craftsman Screw Out bits- get a pair
Can Tire... tap and die set 9.99 CAD

drilling out the old screw and rethreading the hole....free