Vortec Distributor Cap Problems

Gm used the style cap on v6 and v8 vortec motors.

Vortec distributor cap problems.

Heck i was parked idling in the rain the other day and somehow rain got sucked up in it started missing warning light blinking i was parked. 1 the air gap between the rotor and cap electrodes is greater on the 5 7 vortec engine causing the rotor to prematurely burn. 97 chevy k1500 5 7 vortec is burning distributor cap and rotor about every month 5 answers. The symptoms are a p0300 code misfiring backfiring poor starting no start rough running etc.

It doesn t have any vents it has to be sealed to stop moisture from getting in there. And the distributor sits in a high heat part of the engine with poor air circulation or cooling. The end play caused the distributor shaft to thrust upwards when decelerating and push the rotor into the cap. 4 3 distributor cap issues 08 22 06 06 05 am post 989299 in response to hdmk i had this exact same issue on a 96 and never found the actual cause of the problem.

This causes the rotor bushing to wear out and the distributor begins to no longer be able to turn. When you look at the spark plug wire terminals you ll see unusual wear patterns. The issue stems from failure of the housing that in turn allows the distributor shaft bushing to wear out. I went through many caps both aluminum and brass inserts new wires new dist plugs coil but nothing fixed it.

Any kind of moisture will make it hard to start or not start at all. I had the truck for about 4. The cap is prone to warping from the heat which results in the cap rubbing against the distributor rotor button. You might hear a tapping clicking or sputtering sound when the distributor rotor and cap are failing.

It doesnt help that the ac line from back of compressor runs right over the top of distributor. The cap is made of plastic. I have a 97 truck v6 vortec and every year i have to buy a new distributor cap. Every month or two i am burning up distributor cap and rotor.

In addition you ll also see damage to the distributor rotor. The underlying problem is that its a design flaw. Wondering if i need to go to original acdelco distributor. 2 could their be a defect in the distributor itself that wont allow the moisture to leave causing the corrosion.

It also caused the hall effect sensor to misread the notch in the rotor. I had a problem of the distributor cap on my 98 5 7 and it was because the cap wasn t sealed good enough. You need a throx t 20 to pop the cap and t 15 to take off the rotor. All that condensate dripping straight down into cap.

The last cap only lasted 3k before it started mifiring. Make sure to get a quality cap though. I have changed icm coil back to acdelco plugs. In vortec engines the problem stems with the cap on the distributor not the actual distributor itself.