Hey guys i'm Matt n i'm new to the site and i'm hoping to get advice on the best way to get the distributor out of my 94 ED Fairmont? About 3 weeks ago on a sunny day at mount Maunganui i decided to wash my pride and joy and degrease engine at the same time. All was good, until i sprayed all the degreaser off and then went to start my Ford and was welcomed by my Ford violently shaking and with a closer inspection, realized there was also water bubbling out of the spark plugs. The next day after driving it and ford stil sick and driving on what it seems is half its cylinders i took it to local mechanic and after taking one quick look and listening to engine, he suggested to pull out dizzy and dry it out. Easy, wel maybe so but I've never worked on cars before but im keen as but will need some advice and a bit of helpful direction along the way please if posible. The Dizzy seems to be lying right beneath the manifold and the fuel rail etc, do i have to take all this off to get to it as it seems logical to do so, or is there a much easier way??! Much appreciated guys/galz, thanks!!

welcome to fordmods mate.
well i rekon the mounting spot on these motors for the dizzy is pathetic. wich is why i only buy v8s .
anyway. yes it can be removed without taking the inlet manifold or anythin off its just a tight squeeze.
first un-clip the dizzy cap, there will be two little spring loaded clips on the sides of the cap. moove the cap outta tha way.
there will be a small bold with a sort of locking plate on the engine block right nexto the base of the dizzy. undo it and take it outta the way. now remember wich way the rotor arm is aiming before removing the dizzy, write it down if you have to. and pull the dizzy out. with a bit of wriggleing and scraped knuckles. lol. oo might need to take the wiring off the tfi module too. its just a clip on i think.

Im a car deatailer, this happans to me when I clean my engine bay.
I just try to stay away from the dizzy altogether.
But you should be able to get away with not pulling the whole dizzy out.
Just run the motor so its up to temp, and shoot compressed air around the plugs & dizzy. Maybe take the cap off too.

If you've never worked on cars before I would advise VERY strongly against taking out a dizzy as a 1st job. Getting the thing out and back is straightforward enough to an experienced person, but if you've little or no prior knowledge things can go very wrong. You need to ensure that you have EVERYTHING (where the dizzy meets the block, where on the lip of the dizzy the rotor is pointing etc..) marked where they are before you remove the dizzy, and make sure it all lines up correctly when it goes back in. Otherwise you will not get your car to run as the timing won't be right and you'll need to remove the dizzy again and again until you get it right.
My advice to you is do as Trav 4.0 suggested above, if that doesn't help get some WD40 or similar water dispersant spray, take the cap off the dizzy and hit both inside the cap and the dizzy itself and leave it for about an hr and see how it goes.
When I wash an engine bay I always cover the dizzy and alternator with a plastic bag (or similar) and still try and avoid those two areas as much as possible.

Looking at this part got me worried, water bubbling out of the spark plugs has me thinking you may have accidentally gotten a lot of water down the intake and now the engine has swallowed it. Check your oil for any milky color.

Hey guys thanks a lot for your prompt replies its much appreciated. I'll definitely know for next time to leave the engine alone when washing my car, and if for some reason i decide to clean it i'll take precautionary measures nxt time such as covering electrics up etc lol.. until then tho, i wil follow ur guys advice and hpefuly get that 6 pulling hard agen!!

Cheers guys and great informative site for Fords! Keep it up..

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the bubling around the spark plugs is just water boiling off from engine heat..

as for the dizzy, i wouldnt be removing it.. i would check inside the dizzy cap for moisture and spray wd40 lightly in the dizzy and cap then put it back together...

OK cool as mate thanks a lot for your suggestion. I will certainly try it and hpe for tha best! I Really appreciate all the help guys its awesome, thanks!

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lol. you are an idiot

Cheers for tha welcome Benny D I've only just noticed ur reply mate.. also, i totally agree wit u on wea the dizzy is positioned in my Fairmont, its a pain in tha a** to get too!!

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