Jammed Engine and Stuck Lucas Distributor in V12 Engine

Started 2nd August 2026 at 20:01 · Laurence Jones

Let’s start by stating this all feels self inflicted…

MY 1986 V12 XJ-SC Cabriolet was up and running, but had a slight miss-fire so I replaced the Lucas distributor cap and the Rotor Arm. When I pulled the old Rotor Arm off it raised the shaft a few millimeters and I tried to push it back down when I pushed the new Arm on but it didn’t quite go back and I left it like that – here’s the cause.

Then when I’d put everything back together and turn the key to crank the engine, the engine jammed up (presumably on the incorrectly located distributor shaft).

I managed to turn the engine back a couple of degrees on the crankshaft pulley, hoping to unwind the jam.

So, I tried to remove the distributor, working on the premise that it might unjam on the engine as I pulled it out. I discovered all the advance mechanism was broken, presumably due to being out of position when I cranked the engine. Removing the distributor has proved extremely hard to achieve, and basically I’ve ended up where shown in the photo.

I can rotate the last remaining part of the distributor casing (very very stiff) by leveraging the broken bits of case (another self inflicted issue) and the engine bolt (to the right of the picture).

I figured that as I can rotate the case a few millimetre then the seal is broken and out the distributor will come – no such luck.

I’m now completely stuck. The casing and the remains of the shaft are basically stuck, and the engine is still very much jammed (verified by gently rotating the engine the correct way and backwards on the crankshaft pulley, rather than attempting to crank the engine again).

Doooooooooooomed

Laurence

Author

Replies
- 4th August 2026 at 12:33 #26150
  
  Laurence Jones
  Keymaster
  
  After a lot of effort to get the jammed distributor out, I succeeded – only after carefully rotating the engine backwards on the crankshaft bolt, which freed the Jam and the remains of the body and shaft came out (I say remains as I basically destroyed the case and everything else trying to get it out when it was stuck in place…).
  
  Search now begins for a decent replacement Distributor that won’t break my budget 🙂
  
  Laurence
- 19th September 2026 at 20:52 #26644
  
  Laurence Jones
  Keymaster
  
  Hi all,
  
  I thought I’d give an update to this issue.
  
  I was able to free the distributor by breaking the rules, by turning the V12 engine backwards a 1/5 turn via the engine crank nut. Soon as the engine move anticlockwise, the distributor just popped out no problem.
  
  I then obtained another distributor and fitted everything back together. Slight challenge was now encountered due to the position (rotation) of the distributor being incorrect…. because I’d rotated the engine after initially marking the rotor arm position.
  
  Before I could work on the timing, the engine jammed again – sure not the distributor yet again….
  
  Nope, the distributor lifted out easily but the engine remained jammed – the starter motor just clicking and not motion.
  
  It would appear that my issue now, and possibly all along, is the starter motor. I’m not looking forward to removing that huge and almost totally inaccessible object, but needs must as I’ve tried every other way to get the engine to start but the starter just sits there clicking at me.
  
  I’ll update when I have more information after tackling the Starter Motor.
  
  Laurence
- 11th October 2026 at 22:34 #26728
  
  Laurence Jones
  Keymaster
  
  Hi All,
  
  Just to let you know I haven’t had a chance yet to work on the car to tackle removing the starter motor, mainly because I can’t get the car into the garage with driving it in 😂
  
  The drive is on a slope, and it isn’t going to be easy to get the car up the slope and into the garage over the inspection pit, and I’m not attempting to do this lying on my back on a gravel drive while the car is up on ramps (though I doubt I could get it onto ramps either).
  
  So, when I solve the problem of moving the car, I’ll let you know how I get on with the starter motor
  
  (quietly hoping it will solve itself and start working again without me having to remove it, if I leave it long enough 🫣)
  
  Laurence
Author

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