1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Distributor comparability?

Discussion in 'Subaru Sambar' started by oisesaux, Mar 28, 2021.

  1. oisesaux

    oisesaux New Member

    I just purchased a 1995 supercharged Sambar and I'm experiencing an issue with it dying when it hits boost. Swapped distributor cap, rotor, wires and am awaiting a new fuel filter. I have seen from an older post that this maybe be linked to the distributor itself being bad. I've seen several of distributors for sale, but they don't look exactly the same as the one I have (clip on vs. the screw in one I have). Are the different distributors compatible with this engine or no?

    Thanks!
     
  2. rkrenicki

    rkrenicki Active Member

    On 1990-1998 Supercharged models, the distributor is interchangeable. The very early models had a right-angle cap, but you can install the straight cap with no problem. You cannot use a distributor from a carbed model though.. there are 3-4 different versions of those. That all said, the base of the distributor would not have any affect on the spark.. all of that is done up in the cap and rotor, which you have already changed.

    What exactly do you mean by "dying when it hits boost"? Basically, as soon as you touch the gas pedal, you are under boost. That is to say, as long as you aren't idling or coasting.. you are constantly "boosting".

    I would wait until you replace that fuel filter before looking at anything else. If that does not fix it, I would look for vacuum/boost leaks. The rubber couplers between the supercharger and the manifold and throttle body are common failure points given the age of these vehicles.
     
  3. oisesaux

    oisesaux New Member

    That's good to know if that becomes my next thing to try.

    It starts fine and idles smoothly. If I mash the throttle wide open (or even really half throttle), it essentially dies. I can only drive it by gently touching the throttle. It was gently getting itself up to about 90 km/h, but after doing the the distributor cap and rotor the problem got worse and it barely goes. Wires all seem connected just fine. I can't find any vacuum leaks, but there is one that's not connected to anything. See picture.
     
  4. rkrenicki

    rkrenicki Active Member

    It could also be that the distributor is not properly rotated. On the SC models, since they are computer controlled advance.. the distributor needs to be installed pretty much right in the middle of its adjustment range.
     
  5. oisesaux

    oisesaux New Member

    Put the original rotor back on and now it's running "ok" again. This continues to be mysterious.
     
  6. rkrenicki

    rkrenicki Active Member

    Do the two rotors look any different? It is possible that you had one of the various carbed versions installed.
     
  7. oisesaux

    oisesaux New Member

    It looked like the same size, also a Hitachi, but had a vacuum hole, so I plugged that with a vacuum cap. I bit the bullet and just ordered a whole new distributor.
     
  8. rkrenicki

    rkrenicki Active Member

    Wait.. are you talking about the Cap or the Rotor? or both?

    There should not have been a vacuum hole on the cap. Either the wrong cap was sent or ordered. Where did they come from?
     
  9. oisesaux

    oisesaux New Member

    The cap. Original cap had the four hookups for the spark plug wires plus the wire for the ignition. The new one looked just like that plus an additional hole for some vacuum line. I stuck a cap on the hole for the vacuum line.
     
  10. Limestone

    Limestone Well-Known Member

    I was told that's a vent hole, to eliminate moisture, and you don't want to plug, or cap it!
    Limestone
     
  11. rkrenicki

    rkrenicki Active Member

    The correct supercharged cap should look like this: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1De_5DtQILWE_PZa4GBqo36M-iB6JZlGo/view

    It does have that extra 6th nipple, but it was plugged from the factory. If you have the box, the part number should be 22162KA190.

    It sounds like you may be describing the 22162KA121 cap, which is also made by Hitachi.. but it is a different and incompatible cap.
     
  12. oisesaux

    oisesaux New Member

    Looks like that, but not plugged. This is the one I bought: https://minitruck.ca/mini-truck-par...cal/Subaru-Sambar-Super-Charged-Cap-and-Rotor
    They called and told me it was the right part.

     
  13. rkrenicki

    rkrenicki Active Member

    Did you get the original box with the part number on it? The 22162KA121 looks very similar, but it is not the same.

    On a side note.. it is crazy that they charge $75 for a $20 and $10 part. :(
     
  14. oisesaux

    oisesaux New Member

    I don't. It just came in a cardboard box. It sounds like what you're telling me is that this isn't a Sambar distributor at all. The new one is arriving from Japan Monday, so we'll see if that fixes my problems. The fuel filter just came, too, and I've discovered that the wrong filter is in there right now.

    I'm new to all this strange Sambar stuff, so I can't tell when I'm getting hosed yet. I've got a couple older Mercedes and figured out parts buying for them pretty good, but these weren't gray market.
     
  15. Limestone

    Limestone Well-Known Member

    ois,
    Go to your Profile, and click onto your Signature, and put in what you've got! It'll help others help you with your fixes! Thanks!
    Limestone
     
  16. rkrenicki

    rkrenicki Active Member

    Does the cap that your received look like this one? https://minitruck.ca/mini-truck-parts/subaru/subaru-cap-and-rotor-ks3-kv3
     
  17. oisesaux

    oisesaux New Member

    So, replaced the distributor and problem not solved. Moving on to the ignition coil, but I'm having problems (of course) figuring out the right one. EN07Y supposed requires this one 22433KA291, but I can't seem to find that one anywhere. Anything else work or should I just give up and drive the thing into the river?
     
  18. rkrenicki

    rkrenicki Active Member

    22433KA291 is unfortunately discontinued. Your only real bet is to find a used one somewhere.
     
  19. oisesaux

    oisesaux New Member

    So, I guess that's the end of the line. 95 sambar for sale for parts $2500 firm.
     
  20. Jigs-n-fixtures

    Jigs-n-fixtures Well-Known Member

    Look on your distributor. There should be a tag with a manufacturer, and number. distributors have a few body styles, and then they very by what trigger mechanism they use, and the advance curves. On vehicles with a turbo or supercharger, the distributor generally has a pressure retard/vacuum advance canister instead of just a vacuum advance.

    Various cap styles are available to make routing the wires easier, but will generally interchange.
     
  21. rkrenicki

    rkrenicki Active Member

    The Supercharged Sambar is computer controlled advance, no vacuum advance there.

    But I do agree that you may have the wrong cap here... Can you please review the questions that I have asked in the thread? Can you also say where you have been buying these parts from?
     
  22. oisesaux

    oisesaux New Member

    Sure. I since bought a new distributor from Yokohama Motors. It's identical to what was on there. No vacuum port. Didn't have any effect or improvement.

    From reading old posts, ignition coil seems to be the only other defect that has the same symptoms as what I've got, but it looks like I'm stuck with no available parts.
     
  23. Limestone

    Limestone Well-Known Member

    I would gamble on replacing the coil, after I tested it, with a like coil!
    Limestone
     
  24. oisesaux

    oisesaux New Member

    I could be totally wrong, but the coils appear to be the same thing except that the input plug is in a different spot.
     
  25. Limestone

    Limestone Well-Known Member

    You can test it and find out! It'll take a lot of guess work out of the equation! My old buddy who helped me a lot over the years, and taught me an awful lot, refused to chase problems with new parts! Test, Test and then test until your sure! Is just one of the many things that he would say, and teach us! He had such a calming, reassuring de meaner about himself, it just made you respect him! Then he would prove it every time!
    Limestone
     
    Diesel_Gypsy likes this.
  26. Diesel_Gypsy

    Diesel_Gypsy New Member

    Aftermarket coils can easily be used. I have a MSD coil on my Sambar and it works fine, you just need to make sure the input winding has about the same resistance as the original because it is matched to your pickup in the distributor. If you have points instead of a Hall Effect pickup, I would think that switching condensers might give some more flexibility in that regard.
     
  27. oisesaux

    oisesaux New Member

    Thanks. That's good to know.

    However, it is looking like I am pretty close to figuring it out: it's fuel tank gunk that was getting caught in the fuel pump inlet. Electrical stuff seems to be fine (knock on wood). Hooked a fuel pressure gauge up and it seemed to be pretty good (35 psi) at idle. But, then I had a buddy sit in the bed and I drove up and down the street with the gauge hooked up. (His idea, he's smarter than me and a mechanic.) When it was starting to sputter under load, the pressure would drop to 25-30 psi, the come back up when I'd let off the gas. Pulled the pump out to replace and the inlet with filled with gross brown stuff. Cleaned it out and drove it, good at first, but then started to sputter again. Pulled it and more gunk in the inlet, so we put a low pressure filter before the pump and that seems to have done it. I'll drop the tank and clean it out eventually, but you know, one thing at a time.

    I'm hesitant to report this as solved just yet, since I've only driven it a tiny bit, but I think it's pretty close.
     
  28. Jigs-n-fixtures

    Jigs-n-fixtures Well-Known Member

    Back in the early nineties, when they first added alcohol to gasoline, I had a 73 Dart Sport. The original owner had paid the extra money for a lined gas tank. The alcohol dissolved the lining and would plug the sock filter in a day.

    So, I dropped the tank, and removed the sock filter and put four of the biggest gas filters Wix made in parallel on the discharge line from the tank, and ran that to an electric fuel pump. It took almost three months of changing the gas filters at first every weekend, then every couple of weeks, and then once a month, before it finally dissolved all the lining, and it all got sucked into the filters, and out of the tank.
     
    Limestone likes this.

Share This Page