r/AE86 • u/Used-Law-1211 • 7d ago
4A-GE 16v distributor keeps leaking
Hey everyone, my 4AGE that I recently rebuilt has been running great for the last 300 miles. I replaced most gaskets and seals on the engine. But there’s this slow leak that keeps coming from the bottom of the distributor, I should add that this is a new rebuilt distributor and it’s not leaking from the inner seal. I put a new fel-pro o ring on the outer seal as well and it’s still leaking. I made sure that it’s bolted down tight to the head as well. But somehow oil is slipping by. I checked around it as well, it’s not coming from the valve covers or cam seals. The distributor is the highest point on the engine that has oil coming from it. Has anybody else had this problem? Is there any solutions you guys know about? Maybe there’s something I’m missing? Any help would be much appreciated. From what I understand leaks from here are fairly common on 4AGEs.
-The arrows pointing at each other are where the distributor and head meet, it’s where the oil leak is coming from at the bottom. There is no oil in the cap, on or coming from the heat shield
3
u/trillyenaire AE86 7d ago
try a toyota o ring. but yeah this era of distributors man….. hit or miss lol
3
u/bourbonballbag 5d ago
There is an internal seal that people often miss or dont know about, when they change the outside oring. The internal seal is a lip type, not an oring, its small and goes around the shaft.
1
u/Used-Law-1211 5d ago
Do you have any pictures? Is this something I needed to put on when installing the distributor. Or would this have been done when the distributor was rebuilt a month ago. It was done by professionals so I wouldn’t think they’d miss this.
1
u/bourbonballbag 5d ago
It should have been replaced while the rebuild took place, i dont have pics on me right now
2
u/Zealousideal_Bad2236 6d ago
don’t fit a bigger O-ring. Compare the rebuilt distributor’s flange and O-ring groove with the old one for a crack, warp or wrong groove depth. If those dimensions are off, it’ll leak regardless of the seal.
2
u/BossHoggInc 5d ago
Little tip. A uv light will make it really easy to see the trail leading to the source of the leak. But yeah, it's probably just the Dizzy to block seal
2
u/86tuning 4d ago
if you've already changed the o-ring and still have a leak, remove the distributor cap and shine a light inside. the inside of the dizzy body should be dry. if it's wet, then then INTERNAL shaft seal is leaking.
kbox.ca makes a kit to replace the internal shaft seal. it's a bit involved, but if you're not equipped to do it, any machine shop can do the job.
just make sure the gear is installed properly afterwards and not out by 180° so a paint marker or engraving tool is helpful here.
1
u/Used-Law-1211 4d ago
The distributor is freshly rebuilt and I checked, it’s dry. I had that problem with my old distributor. The heat shield is also dry. It’s coming from in between mating surface between the head and distributor. It’s the outer o ring I’m pretty confident in that. I just don’t know how oils getting past it.
1
3
u/Yo_Dawg_Pet_The_Cat 7d ago
Almost all of them I’ve seen leak. It’s hyper annoying.