Vortec Distributor Cap Problems

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

Vortec distributor cap problems.

1 the air gap between the rotor and cap electrodes is greater on the 5 7 vortec engine causing the rotor to prematurely burn. I had the truck for about 4. Wondering if i need to go to original acdelco distributor. I have changed icm coil back to acdelco plugs.

Make sure to get a quality cap though. The last cap only lasted 3k before it started mifiring. You need a throx t 20 to pop the cap and t 15 to take off the rotor. The issue stems from failure of the housing that in turn allows the distributor shaft bushing to wear out.

97 chevy k1500 5 7 vortec is burning distributor cap and rotor about every month 5 answers. Any time you have routine service performed on your vehicle ask that the ignition system be. In addition you ll also see damage to the distributor rotor. In vortec engines the problem stems with the cap on the distributor not the actual distributor itself.

The symptoms are a p0300 code misfiring backfiring poor starting no start rough running etc. And the distributor sits in a high heat part of the engine with poor air circulation or cooling. When you look at the spark plug wire terminals you ll see unusual wear patterns. The cap is made of plastic.

Every month or two i am burning up distributor cap and rotor. You might hear a tapping clicking or sputtering sound when the distributor rotor and cap are failing. It doesn t have any vents it has to be sealed to stop moisture from getting in there. 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.

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. 2 could their be a defect in the distributor itself that wont allow the moisture to leave causing the corrosion. I went through many caps both aluminum and brass inserts new wires new dist plugs coil but nothing fixed it. The end play caused the distributor shaft to thrust upwards when decelerating and push the rotor into the cap.

I had a problem of the distributor cap on my 98 5 7 and it was because the cap wasn t sealed good enough. It doesnt help that the ac line from back of compressor runs right over the top of distributor. The cap is prone to warping from the heat which results in the cap rubbing against the distributor rotor button. Any kind of moisture will make it hard to start or not start at all.

To verify vortec engine distributor problem set the code you simply remove the distributor cap. Moisture water whatever you want to call it gets in it and screws it up. It also caused the hall effect sensor to misread the notch in the rotor. All that condensate dripping straight down into cap.