This is not something that seems like it should be difficult, but I've so far been completely unable to find a new distributor cap to fit my car. I'm seriously wondering if I don't have a stock distributor. Mine has captive screws to hold the cap on, which are threaded directly into the distributor body. The only caps I've been able to find anywhere, locally or online, are ones that clip on. Rock Auto had a picture of one with the screws, but when it arrived it was also a clip-on one.

 

Here's what mine looks like:

 

 

 

 

It's got a Nippondenso logo on it, but I can't seem to find a replacement. Anyone know where I could get one? Or, as an alternative, I suppose a more standard distributor would also help.

Would one for a loyale fit? It might or might not be different but it's worth a try before swapping distributors.

If that is an EA71, its a Denso points style with single advance. I see PACE SETTER Part # C605Z may fit, it has holes and specifically mentions the Denso distributor. All the Hitachi units are clip on, and I even think the electronic ignition Denso units are clip on as well. 

Hmm. Pacesetter #C605Z is the one that I bought from Rock Auto, and when it arrived it had clip mounts instead of holes. There's no number actually stamped into the part that I can find, so I suppose it's possible that it was boxed incorrectly.

 

EDIT: I have filled out a return form with them today, but I don't know yet if they have the right one. Still trying to hunt down a definitive answer as to what I need.

 

Edited June 26, 201510 yr by jnorion

this one perhaps ?

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Distributor-Cap-Gor-Nissan-And-Subaru-1-6-L4-And-1-8-H4-/261936343170?hash=item3cfc9f6882&vxp=mtr

 

The type and year of your motor would help in tracking down the correct distributor cap.

 

TOONGA

That certainly looks like the right one. The application list on that ad doesn't match my car, though, which is I think why I've been running into problems.

 

The car is a 1978 DL. To the best of my knowledge it has the 1.6L engine, as that's what would have been in there from the factory, but I bought the car a month ago from craigslist and know none of its history so it's entirely possible that something in there is not stock.

Looking at your cap again it is different to the one listed on Ebay sorry

 

Is there a part number on the distributor?

 

if worst comes to worst there are these distributors on Ebay

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Distributor-1977-1979-Subaru-car-Brat-2WD-Int-50443-/371005321042?hash=item5661a3ef52&vxp=mtr

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Distributor-1977-1979-Subaru-car-Brat-2WD-Int-50443/371005320335?_trksid=p2047675.c100010.m2109&_trkparms=aid%3D333008%26algo%3DRIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D31192%26meid%3D370e4d75d8304a748d14d534aab1265b%26pid%3D100010%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D3%26sd%3D371005321042

 

 

TOONGA

ok Im pretty sure this is the cap you want

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Sorensen-GP-22-5026-Ignition-Distributor-Cap-1976-87-Subaru-Car-Truck-/381148854839?hash=item58be3dfa37&vxp=mtr

 

It has the offset lugs next to the screws

 

TOONGA

$5.93 with free shipping http://www.ebay.com/itm/1976-77-78-79-80-81-82-83-84-85-86-87-88-1989-subaru-distributor-cap-/261844680038?hash=item3cf728bd66&vxp=mtr

ok Im pretty sure this is the cap you want

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Sorensen-GP-22-5026-Ignition-Distributor-Cap-1976-87-Subaru-Car-Truck-/381148854839?hash=item58be3dfa37&vxp=mtr

 

It has the offset lugs next to the screws

 

TOONGA

 

Ah, yes, good catch. Definitely rotated correctly with the mounting screws not dead center.

 

$5.93 with free shipping http://www.ebay.com/itm/1976-77-78-79-80-81-82-83-84-85-86-87-88-1989-subaru-distributor-cap-/261844680038?hash=item3cf728bd66&vxp=mtr

 

Sweet, can't pass that price up! Bought it. We'll see if Rock Auto can come up with a correct replacement... if so, i'll have a spare as well, which is never a bad thing.

 

Thank you both for helping out.

FWD or 4WD ? This one you need I suspect to be FWD

It's a 4WD, but perhaps the distributor wasn't for that originally?

OK seriously, WTF kind of distributor do I have on this car? I received both the one from ebay above and a replacement from Rock Auto, and although they both have the captive screws, neither one is correct. The screw holes are offset incorrectly. Look at the bottom mount hole:

 

 

Here's the side-by-side comparison of the screw holes:

 

 

This one's close enough that I may be able to just hack it together... the rear screw goes in just fine, and the whole thing sits nicely on the inner lip of the distributor, so I can probably just clamp the front somehow. Still very frustrating though.

 

For reference, here's the inside of the distributor:

 

 

Looks like that could probably also use a good clean and rebuild, but I don't think that's causing any of the current problem.

 

I would just swap it out for a hitachi with the module in the distributor at this point. I've got one if you can't find one closer.

You mean just swap out the whole distributor, right? I'm leaning that way at this point. Even if I do figure out which cap fits this, it would be nice to have a more standard option.

Yeah that's what i mean. With the hitachi distributor you can usually walk into the parts store and buy the cap right off the shelf.

you might try cross-reference with weird isuzu from the era. 

OP, dude ... I would take up turbosubarubrat's offer for the stock hitachie disty.     He's straight up.   I have purchased several parts from him. 

  Get rid of the franken distributor.

Good to have the review, but we've already been PMing about that in the background :-)

I read that someone asked for the part number of the dizzy which may help - don't yet see it in text, maybe in pics ?

 

Anyone notice the direction of rotation on the top of the two caps when pictured side by side ?

 

Not that it matters a lot, but one is counter, the other clock !

 

Time to do a distributorless , multi coiled ignition !!

I read that someone asked for the part number of the dizzy which may help - don't yet see it in text, maybe in pics ?

 

Anyone notice the direction of rotation on the top of the two caps when pictured side by side ?

 

Not that it matters a lot, but one is counter, the other clock !

 

Time to do a distributorless , multi coiled ignition !!

 

You're not missing anything in text or in pics... I haven't been able to find a part number on either the distributor or the cap. Haven't actually removed the distributor from the car, so it's likely that it's hidden in a hard-to-find spot.

 

I did notice that the rotation arrow on the cap was different, but I also didn't think that actually mattered. Does it? The contact points should be the same either way. That being said, the image on ebay didn't show that arrow, so I didn't know it was marked differently til I received it in any case.

 

How would one do a distributorless ignition on this car? 

Maybe a Suzuki LJ or Sierra is what it looks like, I believe they sold them as a Chev badged Mini Jeep Clone in the states, Geo Tracker seems to ring a bell.