My 1994 Accord with 2.2 non VTEC engibe
has a bursted coolant hose under the distributor
(the hose that goes into the head).
It looks like in order to get to it I need to remove the
distributor.
My question is:

Can I just remove the distributor and leave all the wires
connected etc and then just put it back on when
I replace the hose ? Or does this mess with timing something ?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

Make a mark on the body of the dist to the head......marker of some sorts. I like to make two at different places but that is me.

Then remove the dist cap, leave the wires on the cap. It will fold out of the way. Note which direction the rotor is pointing....you can make a mark on the dist housing. There is an electrical plug(s) from the dist, remove it.

Remove the bolts holding the dist and "wiggle" it out. I would suggest spending the ~$3 on a new o-ring for the dist.

Replace the hose, replace the o-ring on the dist, a light coat of oil on the new o-ring.

Then install the dist with the rotor pointing to the mark on the dist housing and the marks from the body of the dist "close" to the head. Once the dist is seated, get the marks from the body of the dist lined up to the marks on the head and tighten the bad boy down - use proper spec's. Install the cap and the elec plug and say a small prayer and crank the bad boy up

 

Oh....and from there you need to bleed the air out of the cooling system using the proper method.

 

Thanks

I think that is why the hose burst.
Do you know the proper way to bleed the system

 

There are several ways of bleeding the system....and might cause a debate.

Me, no special funnel or tools. Once the system is sealed back up - hose and hose clamps back on. Open the bleeder on the t-stat housing - where the lower rad hose connects to the engine. On your 94, turn the heat **** to max heat.

SLOWLY fill the rad until a nice stream of coolant is coming out of the bleeder. Close the bleeder, top rad if needed. Put the rad cap back on - ONE CLICK ONLY, not all the way. WARNING, one click only.

Turn the blower motor off inside the car. Start the car and let it run. Outside temps will "play with times" but the car should run for ~15 minutes and at some point the rad fans will cycle. Of course you watch the temp gauge in the dash and shut the car off if it starts to overheat.

Once the fans cycle at least once, shut the engine off. Remove the rad cap - AGAIN, WARNING, the ONE click was so no pressure builds in the system. HOT COOLANT WILL BURN.

Top off the rad and also the overflow.

Replace the rad cap ALL the way. Start the car and let it run. Again, you want to watch the temp gauge in the car....once the fans cycle a time or two.......done.

 

I would guess that hose "burst" because the dist o-ring leaked oil on it and made it "soft".

Again why I would spend the ~$3 for a new dist o-ring......your are there, why not?

 

The external O-ring on the distributor is definitely a common cause. I was poking around my car the other day and I noticed I had oil in that vicinity coming off one of the hoses off the top of the engine running to air filter box. (Come to think of it, I'm not sure if it's possible for oil to come out of this. Although a cracked air hose may effect the PVC system)

It had a crack in it where the hose clamped it on.

 

thank you all for your help.

Poorman, in your bleeding instructions above
can you please clarify when the car is to be started
and running ?
You mention turning on the heat and the fan before
actually starting the car

thanks

 

I'll re-read this later but I think I stated that? The heat is set to max before filling so that any air in the heater core can be "pushed" out during the bleeding. The reason to turn the blower off before starting the engine is that it acts as a "mini" cooling fan for the system, so to get the cooling system to "op temp" as quickly as you can you turn it off....again having the heat to max lets the coolant flow thru the heater core but with the blower off it is not being "cooled".......sorry I can't explain better. I'm old, slow and stupid . I try is all I can say?

 

makes sense now, thanks