while putting in new points today i dropped the screw and washer that holds down the points and it cannot be found is there anything i can do or is there somewhere i can find a replacement?

use a telescoping magnet and poke around. The outside screws on the body of the dizzy are the same size; rob peter to pay paul for now. make sure the one you use is short. the one that olds the condensor comes to mind. that begs the question, now you gotta take the dizzy out, then whic one do i rob off the dizzy? maybe the clamp one then use a small nut and bolt assembly to replace the clamp one. this is how you get you running, maybe once you pull the dizzy out the screw will be found, usually the case murphy's law. you'll find it after you took everything out. I would have my face 6 inches from that area with bright lights and magnet probe

thats exactly what i've been doin for the last hour with no luck. if you were in this situation what screw would you use?

This recently happened to me. The screw is a M4, should be available at most hardware stores. I found one at Lowes, just get the shortest one they have. Hope you didn't drop it in the dizzy.

look on the bright side - it didnt fall into a spark plug hole like mine - see my 'compression question"

thanks im going to go to lowes right now

i guess im lucky that didnt happen i just have no idea where it went

Pull the distributor! If its not inside the trigger points, use the magnet inside the hole in the engine tin at the oil pressure sender. It could be hiding around the bottom of the diz where you can't see it, so be careful as you pull it out. If it does fall in, it'll fall on top of the drive gear and you'll be able to retrieve it. Don't remove the drive gear.

Btw, I always pull out the diz to work on it. Its easier, and you won't drop screws where they don't belong.

how hard is it to pull the dizzy?

10mm wrench, 13mm socket with extension. Loosen the clamp, rotate diz all the way cw. Remove hold down nut. unplug condenser from coil. Unplug FI harness from diz, remove vacuum line/lines, and pull up. You might have to wiggle it a little. I've even had one that I had to use a small carpenters nail bar to pry up from the bottom. Underneath it there is the drive gear with a spring. Leave it in place. Installation is the reverse of removal. (I always wanted to say that!LOL)

Not easy but, you'll have to pull it to have it rebuilt if the screw is in there and you start the engine.

Did you check under the bottom of the crank pully with that magnet?

like water, if falls or flows to the lowest point, the front of the fan housing, probe magnet around there, beneath the dizzy, beneath the oil pressure sensor

Might have been even better if you told him to put it on TDC #1 BEFORE he loosend or removed anything, because if he doesn't do that the "Installation is the reverse of removal" part is woefully inadequate in describing the job.

The Cap'n

Why? it'll only go back in one way. You did notice I told not to mess with the drive gear? I wasn't writing a book about it. I gave him a quick description of how it comes out. I guess I could have added NOT to turn the engine over with the diz out.

Use the magnet before you pull the dizzy. If not you'll get ti out and it will be staring you in the face, screaming at you how you just did much more than you had to.
Are you feeling lucky? If could be you can find it.

"Why?". While the shaft will only go back in one way, you've turned the distributor body ("rotate diz all the way cw"), thereby losing the orientation. It's customary in the trade to set the engine on TDC #1 for a reason, and the reason is so you'll be able to get the timing "reasonably" close before you fire it up.

I want to be clear that I'm NOT maligning your fine description of the procedure, I'm just saying it's missing an important point.

The Cap'n

While I agree turning the diz will change the timing. Simply putting it back where is was should be good enough to start and time. He's gonna have to retime once he replaces the point anyway. Sometimes too much info confuses people who don't work on these cars everyday.

If you don't know (i.e., mark) where it was, how do you get it back to there?

The Cap'n

Well thats easy. Reference the vac can to a point of your choice. ie, wire bale for oil filler, before you take it out. Like I say, ya gotta retime it anyway.

Not trying to start a debate. There are as many ways to build a cabinet as there are cabinetmakers. Doesn't mean any of them are right or wrong. I guess you could equate that to mechanics too?

i finally found the time to pull off the dizzy today and still no screw to be found. Would it be safe to just buy a new screw and install it since its not in the distributor gears? Is there anywhere else i should look before reinstalling everything?

yes i did. anywhere else i should check?

Something else to consider - its unlikely but it has happened to me. There is a small cut in the tube that the dizzy mounts into the case. It is possible for screws and springs to bounce into that little cut. At that point, you then have a screw or spring inside your engine case that has to be removed! I did it by partially dropping the engine, pulling the oil pump and getting the spring out - but it was not something that I would want to do again.

Please be sure that your screw is not going to fall into the shaft when you pull the dizzy... unless you like stomping your feet, cursing and being filled with impotent rage at the boneheaded thing you just did.

ok ill definately check up on that!