Recently inherited this car from my Dad. He drove the car 200 miles a year for the last 15 years and only has 82k on her. Great condition, I got it home and had it in the garage since January.

Started it up last month after the thaw, let it warm up, sounded good, but wouldn't make it down the block. Stuttered, backfired and stalled out.

Not able to start it since.

Similar problem last winter and my Dad had the following work done:
Replaced idle speed actuator assemble
Replaced O2 sensor
Replaced coolant
Replaced spark plugs and wires
Replaced distributor cap and rotor
Replaced fuel filter and air filter

These fixes had it working ok for another year.

I am thinking once I drive it regularly the car should come back online, but just need to get it started and moving.

A neighbor suggested I replace the gas with fresh and that just might fire it up.

Any thoughts?

 

So, I drained all but maybe 2-3 gallons and added 5 of 93 octane. Charged the battery with my other car and was all ready to fire it up. No go. Now when I turn the key, I hear the fuel pump and then the ignition does little else.


Did I blow the starter trying to turn it over all those times before?


Battery seems charged as I could run the lights and signals.


What to do now? Besides towing it out.

 

Found the problem, at least I thought, when I saw the distrib cap cracked at coil. but when I took it off, I found the shaft has cracked off and rotor was not attached.


Now what? replace the whole distributor? Where to find one?


Wish it was just the simple rotor and cap replacement.


Also curious how the hell that shaft cracks from spinning around...

 

Hi is it the shaft the rotor arm is fitted to? Or the rotor arm it self is broken. Can you check the distributor cap and can you see any damage on that. Also you mentioned the coil .

 

The rotor itself is intact and still screw mounted to the shaft. The end of the shaft has cracked off with the rotor attached.

Distributor cap: Center connector where the coil and rotor connect was completely cracked free from the rest of the cap.

Other than that, the coil wire/connectors and spark plug wires are in great condition.

 

I am lost now ,the job is more than i can tell you about .I have read about breaking the shaft just past the rota arm.It will need a strip down now to replace broken shaft.

 

All is not lost, I found a rotor adapter thread on benzworld.

It appears that there is an adapter connected to the end of the camshaft. The part that screws into the rotor cracked off from the adapter shaft, which is still inside the housing.

Could it be that I only need to pull that small adapter shaft out and replace with $15 new adapter part?

 

Did you get your rotor issues solved? Pictures would be nice for further reference.