Coolant found in Distributor
#1
06-25-2015, 10:25 AM
Coolant found in Distributor
Can someone help me with determining how radiator coolant got into my distributor? 2000 Chevrolet Blazer LT. lately i've been having to refill the radiator with coolant with no visible signs of leaks. Just yesterday I had to fill the radiator for the 4th time in four weeks with coolant again. This time I smell coolant and see small drips but not enough to determine where it was coming from.
The thing ended up stalling out on me and I had it towed to my mechanic. He said he noticed alot of Coolant in the distributor. I'm puzzled, how could that be possible. Anyone ever seen this before? These Blazers can be a pain the **** sometimes.
The thing ended up stalling out on me and I had it towed to my mechanic. He said he noticed alot of Coolant in the distributor. I'm puzzled, how could that be possible. Anyone ever seen this before? These Blazers can be a pain the **** sometimes.
#2
06-29-2015, 11:10 AM
Coolant has no direct path to the distributor. Any coolant loss internal to the motor would end up in the engine oil before it would get to the distributor, turning the oil into a chocolate milkshake mess.
Over the course of the many years that I have been here and working on S-series trucks, I have seen the vent in the bottom of the distributor get clogged up with debris and/or insect nests which would allow moisture to collect in the distributor. One that I pulled actually had a small puddle under the CMP sensor visible after removing the cap.
The older factory distributors had a metal screen over the molded in vent that could get dirty & restrict free flow of air/moisture from inside the distributor. The newer ones did away with the screen, but could still get plugged up by insect web/nest.
Often, a quick shot with shop air will clear the vent which should alleviate the moisture problem. Here's a picture of a factory distributor I took apart a long time ago:
The vent is the hole located at approximately the 9 o'clock position as shown in the picture. You can see the relation to the CMP sensor which is still installed. In the picture, the distributor shaft is not installed so when you look at yours, the reluctor ring that the rotor bolts to will be obstructing your view.
Over the course of the many years that I have been here and working on S-series trucks, I have seen the vent in the bottom of the distributor get clogged up with debris and/or insect nests which would allow moisture to collect in the distributor. One that I pulled actually had a small puddle under the CMP sensor visible after removing the cap.
The older factory distributors had a metal screen over the molded in vent that could get dirty & restrict free flow of air/moisture from inside the distributor. The newer ones did away with the screen, but could still get plugged up by insect web/nest.
Often, a quick shot with shop air will clear the vent which should alleviate the moisture problem. Here's a picture of a factory distributor I took apart a long time ago:
The vent is the hole located at approximately the 9 o'clock position as shown in the picture. You can see the relation to the CMP sensor which is still installed. In the picture, the distributor shaft is not installed so when you look at yours, the reluctor ring that the rotor bolts to will be obstructing your view.
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