While following the procedures outlined in the Haynes and the guide posted here, I ran into a problem with the Torx boltsfor the Distro cap stripping as they was as tight as (any choice of word or phrasegoes here). Anyone have a way of removing Torx bolts now that they are stripped?

 

could always drill it out.

 

Thought about that, but I think a stripped-head bit from SMears (SMart) would work fine too (just found a post on a BMW site).

 

Before leaving to go 17 miles to Sears and get the bit, decided to try a different brand Torx bit. The CRAFTSMAN Torx bit (T15, which were never used before) wouldn't work. Trieda T15 from the Companion brand (Sears cheap brand) and it worked fine...go figure.

 

Hmm. That's odd, but atleast you were able to get it. I'd take the Craftsman bits back and get another set. I've had misprinted bits & sockets before.

 

Glad to hear that you got it out.
I have used a die grinder on screws to cut a slot, then used a flat blade screwdriver. It works sometimes.

 

I'm doing this gasket replacement as time permits. Now that I replaced the intake gasket, I am not having fun with putting the distrbutor back in. I had it TDC to #1, but when it goes back in, it lines up with #3. Any ideas (other than using a sledge hammer) to get the dizzy in the way it was taken out?

 

You can take a long flat head screw driver and stick it down and turn the gearsa lil bit at a time to get it to slide back in were you need it to!! I had to do that when I took mine out to do my intake manifold gaskets, it worked just fine!!!!

 

Just a correction to what is stated above... You use the screwdriver to turn the oil pump drive, no gears involved (unless you want to get specific about the oil pump...

What is mostlikely happening is the distributor is hanging up on the oil pump drive causing you to put it into a position where the distributor can fully sit down into the block. I ran through this when putting the distributor back in on my old Bravada when I did the lower intake manifold gaskets. It can be aggravating.

 

Sorry about that I forgot to specify what you turn, thanks kyle for catching that!!! [sm=hail.gif]