Greetings,

I have a stuck distributor on a '68 230 with the M180.949 six cylinder engine. The distributor appears to be stuck in place and will not rotate for me to adjust the engine's timing.

I have, so far, squirted penetrating oil where the cast iron distributor meets the aluminum base, and where the aluminum base meets the block, and let it soak overnight a few times. I have gently tapped the bottom edge of the distributor with a small hammer to try and shock it loose with the penetrating oil. I have also run the engine up to full temperature to warm up the block where it is hot to the touch, and then attempted to move the distributor using the methods described above. All have been unsuccessful so far, and the distributor has refused to budge.

The clamp screw and the bolt on the fine adjuster have been loosened when I try to move the distributor. There is also a third screw on the aluminum base where it mates to the block which I removed.

As for the engine's history: it has low miles since a rebuild about 25 to 30 years ago. The distributor has likely not moved since at least 1994 or 1995. The engine runs well with minimal oil consumption.

I think what is going on is there is some corrosion where the cast iron and aluminum surfaces mate up.

Does anyone have any advice or further options I can pursue without damaging the distributor?