I changed my distributor cap yesterday. I haven't got to the rotor yet, but I will today.

It's super easy. Just unclip each spark plug wire clip, then remove three 8mm (or 9-forgot) bolts on the cap. My replacement cap and the original wires were labeled with the number so you couldn't mix them up when putting back on. Grab the plug wire by the end rubber boot, not the retaining clip. Push the retaining clip at an angle out of the way first.

I couldn't believe how much of a difference this made in terms of engine feel. The car accelerated faster, idled smoother, and my AEM A/F guage changed from 15.3 at idle to 15.1. I had to adjust my shifting because the engine RPM increased faster.

Inside the cap is the rotor and 2 screws that hold it on.


My original rotor is SEVERLY corroded and almost worn away. Can't wait to replace this. The part was $5.00 at Pepboys.


My plug wire tips were coated with some sort of black carbon/dirt/tar. I wiped these off with a soft cloth. I cleaned the upper ring on the rubber area with a cloth, but not the lower ring because it contained some sort of grease that I didn't want to wipe off. It was mostly gone anyway and I'm not sure what kind of grease to put back on.


The original distributor cap contacts were somewhat corroded or whatever, and had a little bit of brown marking. The interesting thing is that I used a multimeter just to see if the corroded side allowed the multimeter to get a resistance reading. No go!! I could only get a reading by putting the tester pin on the back side of the contact because there wasn't any corrosion there.



Total cost $18.63 @ Pepboys, new parts, non remanufactured. Labor..maybe 45 minutes. If you're doing it for the first time, going slow and taking your time to clean off the dirt etc.

 

It's dielectric grease, helps keep the contacts clean to ensure a good connection. You should be able to pick it at the parts store. If you replace wires, it is typically included.

 

I changed my cap and rotor today. It was pretty simple. Thanks for the write-up!