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Rebuilding the distributor of your Volvo 700 and 900 four cylinder

Volvo 700, 900

11.09.2025

The distributors on the cylinder head, driven by the end of the camshaft, tend to leak oil after 25+ years of service.
This can cause nasty oil leaks that are often mistaken as leaking rear main seals or leaking gearboxes since the oil works its way down through the bell housing, where it can finally drip off. Besides an oily distributor cap might cause misfires.
The main culprit for the oil leak is the seal inside the distributor that is hard to replace without a proper tool.
We made a special tool to replace the seal and show you how to use it.


When the seat of seal is cleaned out, oil the lip of the seal so it will not run dry.


Now press in the new seal vertically with a suitable press tool, make sure the new seal will not tilt during this process. If you a a hydraulic press this will be the easiest way.


Press the protection plate back in its seat afterwards, a socket can be used as a press tool.


Now make sure the distributor shaft is oily on is bearing surface...


...as well as the inside of the distributor plate is oily.


Now push the distributor shaft back in with the distance plates and one fiber plate on each side side.


Now put the drive plate back on (make sure the orientation is correct as mentioned in the previous steps) and push its locking pin back in, but not all the way, just until it grabs 1-2mm into the distributor shaft.
Now check the axial play of the shaft. A little play is acceptable and needed, the shaft must spin easily. If the axial play is too much or not enough, add, change or remove distance plates.

When the distributor shaft spins freely and you have very little to almost none axial play, push the locking pin all the way back in on our special tool.


Pushing the pin back in is easier with a larger punch, but make sure you will not damage the rear of the distributor plate with it.


Now put the two O rings back on and the distributor is ready for a lot of miles again and can...


...be installed again. Check your mark again you eventually made when you took the distributor off, the drive plate on the distributor shaft only fits into the camshaft one way.


Push the distributor finger back on.


Install the distributor cap and push the spark plug cables back on in order as shown in the picture.

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  • All notes serve only as an example and do not replace the workshop instructions of the automobile manufacturers! All information is supplied without guarantee!

Additional information...

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