so im having a problem with my distributor. theres oil in it. how do i find what model or identify the specific model for replacement? i tried to purchase another one online, but it says it replaces a certain model number. The car i have is a 1990 civic 3 dr dx model 1.5l 5 speed. dual point injected.

 

replace your distributor o-ring

 

Trust is right. Remove the three bolts on the distributor (pay attention to where the rotor is, don't move it or reinstall it backwards) and pull it straight out. On the end of the cam is an O-Ring. Simple, easy fix and you can leave all your plug wires on the cap.

 

so i thought that was the culprit, turns out the shaft is wobbely inside the housing. im getting uneven wear on the rotor, and lots of oil inside the cap. how do i rebuild my distributor? i think the seal and bearings just need to be replaced.

 

The shaft coming from the head? Where the two prongs on the distributor hooks up to?

 

the 2 prongs (shaft) on the dizzy is supposed to have play in it, the o-ring is worn replace it, its a common thing to go bad.

 

The o-ring on the outside keeps oil from leaking around the outside and running down the engine. There is another seal on the shaft itself to keep oil out of the inside of the distributor.

Officially, the bottom half of the distributor is to be replaced as a unit, so the oil seal and bearing are not sold separately. You may be able to find them somewhere though. There were 2 types of engines for the 90 model, the 1.5 and the 1.6 Si type, the distributors are different. Other than that anything from an 88 to 91 1.5 liter should fit.

 

to identify which distributor they have number stamps on the housing where it bolts up to the head, also you have the 1.5 dual point motor your distributor dont have a cam position sensor, the si model does have a cam position sensor in the distributor since it's a mpfi motor.

 

so the marking was galled a little, but i think it is a t 01-u im going to replace the whole thing. since the shaft is wearing out both the cam and the rotor/cap. its got a lot of slop in it. and lots of oil inside it. the coil and electronics are saturated in oil. now, all thats left is the fuel injector....if that is indeed whats wrong.