Today I replaced my B2200 distributor internal seal F829-18-V41 following the PDF write-up I wrote up a few months ago (see attached file, but note that the diagram is not 100% correct). This job went smoothly (meaning that the trucks starts and runs). The distributor had been leaking considerable oil internally, and that was working its way up and leaking out the distributor body. I'd bought the seal online from a Mazda dealer last year, and felt at 222.5K miles that it was time (or maybe was time in the 2000s or 2010s). This job took me a couple of hours, so one can readily see why a shop would simply install a new or rebuilt distributor as labor costs would make seal replacement more expensive; a complete distributor sells for $150-$250, more with a shop mark-up. Anyway, it's done now, and the old seal (in the photo) was rock hard. And I also replaced the external distributor shaft seal as well.

 

I did the same thing about a year ago because oil got inside my distributor and killed my ignition control module and I wasn't getting any spark.

 

Yes, I was also worried that could happen. About 15 years ago I was having stalling/running issues on this truck; at first my independent ASE mechanic thought it was stock carburetor, and the part he thought was bad cost more than me going Weber, plus I knew the stock carbs were very complicated and prone to failure as the trucks got older. But I still had an issue, and his other mechanic thought it might be the distributor, and parts for that were expensive, so his son's B2200 was sitting out front with a for sale sign, so he swapped in the son's distributor and my truck ran fine. So he installed a new ignitor and pickup into my distributor, and has been fine so far, except for the internal oil seal.

I've only driven about 30 miles since the oil seal replacement, and early visual results (looking at the ground) look good, but will need to get some more miles in. So keeping fingers crossed.

 

I had no idea these needed to be replaced. We don’t see many distributors anymore in my industry lol. And are you the same Cusser that’s on the Samba?

 

All five of my vehicles have distributors !! All are 4-cylinder, manual transmissions. Mrs. Cusser has a 2005 Yukon that's automatic, tows horse with it.

I had read about Axel Breaker Earl (on old MazdaTrucking.com) writing about doing his internal seal. So for a couple of years, I wrapped aluminum foil around my distributor so that oil would leak out at lower edge of distributor cap and get channeled away from my AC compressor. I had purchased the internal seal in 2020, and actually practiced the seal R&R on a used distributor I had purchased for $15 at the parts yard a decade ago. After I'd put that distributor back together, I installed that in my B2200 but it wouldn't run, I should've tried that distributor "as is" but neglected to do that. Maybe that was the reason the donor truck was sent to salvage, don't know !!! So after getting my engine professionally rebuilt in Feb. 2020, and installing a used power steering gearbox to get rid of that leak, saw oil on driver side of engine and getting blown rearward, and decided it was time to tackle that seal R&R - especially because I'd already bought it - and also install a new external distributor shaft seal (which had been done before) since I also had one of those here. Well - I did look on the ground after several trips after doing this, and today I plan to go underneath and take a look.

My safety paths were that I have other vehicles to drive, and that I could get a rebuilt lifetime distributor locally in half a day, or go through RockAuto.


That would be me, the only and only Cusser. I still have the 1970 VW sedan and 1971 VW Convertible I purchased from original owner in the 1970s, my '88 B2200 Cab Plus, and my '98 and 2004 Frontiers. I use the '98 Frontier (253K miles) for weekly commuting between Phoenix and Prescott area in the summer, and last week someone left a note on its windshield asking if it ran or was for sale. I likely wouldn't replace that Frontier if it "died" due to the B2200 doing fine now (I'd then use the 2004 Frontier for that commuting as it's got way more highway hp - 143 v. 85 and safety air bags and cruise control - but I don't want to sell the '98.

 

Looked at this today - looks pretty damn good !!!

 

Actually went underneath after this post to take a better look, and it looks great now. So the oil underneath HAD been coming from the distributor internal oil seal after all !!! Really makes that 2.5 hour seal job worthwhile now, and I also noticed three nuts connecting the first converter to the pipe were missing, assuming that the rebuild shop mechanic simply failed to install those. Fortunately, found some 10mm x 1.5mm nuts and threaded those on, used never-seize lubricant and lockwashers. I also noticed the clamp to the pipe rearwards of that never had its clamp tightened, so addressed that as well.

Just shows: if you want things to be done right, you have to do them yourself.

 

I finished up the addition of an LED 3rd brake light to my B2200 today, as 1988 didn't have those. I added this to the crossbed tool box.

 

That’s great I’ll have to check my seal then. I’ve got a 1989 Mazda B2200 love that truck I swear it’s bulletproof I bought it for $1050 with 104,000 back in 2018 lady was moving to Kentucky from my state of Virginia and couldn’t take it with her. All it needed was a fuel pump replaced that and she runs like new and hasn’t given me any issues I’m very happy with it. Then my beetle it’s a 1973 with a 1971 body, wiring and interior so basically a 1971 lol. I’m getting that thing running that’s my goal for 2021 is to get it running.

 

Great job on the oil seal and the write up on it Cusser! I got your email also......can't remember if I responded or not, but thanks for the kudos! Currently I am going through a friends 1989 B2200 Cab Plus Auto Trans truck, fixing all of the immediate issues. I will start a thread on it and post a few pics.