Solution to a broken distributor cap clip

[nctom]

So I'm cruising home last night in a thunderstorm that was really dumping. I splashed through a pretty deep area of standing water and my CJ coughed and died.

Turns out I had a broken distributor cap clip - the cap was not only held on by one clip, but the pressure of the good clip was causing the cap to lift a litte on the other side. And what do you know, water got in there and ruined my ride home.

I decided it was a good time to replace the cap, rotor and wires but my parts shop did not carry those clips. Well, they did, but they came with a new distributor attached.

I had just replaced the water pump and had a tube of that blue silicone gasket stuff, so instead of clipping down the cap, I glued it down with blue form-a-gasket. Water can't get in, the cap is held down better than before and it's easy to pull off for the next tune up.

Ready for whatever is next!

 

[IOPort51]

time for an ignition upgrade!!
distributer from a 79 AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l with cap and adapter from a ford 300 l6
look at the
Genuine Junk Yard Genius.com Ignition Upgrade, Jeep 258 CID I-6
page and you will be on the path to enlightenment.

So I'm cruising home last night in a thunderstorm that was really dumping. I splashed through a pretty deep area of standing water and my CJ coughed and died.

Turns out I had a broken distributor cap clip - the cap was not only held on by one clip, but the pressure of the good clip was causing the cap to lift a litte on the other side. And what do you know, water got in there and ruined my ride home.

I decided it was a good time to replace the cap, rotor and wires but my parts shop did not carry those clips. Well, they did, but they came with a new distributor attached.

I had just replaced the water pump and had a tube of that blue silicone gasket stuff, so instead of clipping down the cap, I glued it down with blue form-a-gasket. Water can't get in, the cap is held down better than before and it's easy to pull off for the next tune up.

Ready for whatever is next!

 

[BajaEdition]

I do not understand,, do you want advice on how to correctly fix the clip so it is not dangerously ready to let you down when you need it as you hookily fixed it, or bragging on how you got home till you bought the correct parts to fix it properly and not run it on a non DOT approved method that means you can lose power anytime it decides to fail?

 

[nitor]

time for an ignition upgrade!!
distributer from a 79 AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l with cap and adapter from a ford 300 l6
look at the
Genuine Junk Yard Genius.com Ignition Upgrade, Jeep 258 CID I-6
page and you will be on the path to enlightenment.

IOPort51 is correct. I did this on my '85. The best way to go. If this is what you're looking for.

 

[nctom]

Yea, you're right. I need to either do an HEI upgrade or the JunkYard Genius route, can't leave it the way it is.

I do not understand,, do you want advice on how to correctly fix the clip so it is not dangerously ready to let you down when you need it as you hookily fixed it, or bragging on how you got home till you bought the correct parts to fix it properly and not run it on a non DOT approved method that means you can lose power anytime it decides to fail?

 

[BrockGrimes]

If you want something temp till you upgrade, pull the good clip and go cruise the local junk yard and snag a match.
Look for AMC vehicles, jeeps, fords, etc.