Anyone who has wrenched on cars for any amount of time will eventually be able to recall situations that go beyond the norm. Today’s Throwback Thursday focuses on one such issue that can be a problem and may have you scratching your head as to why it is occurring. In some situations, oil can work its way up the distributor shaft and accumulate inside the distributor cap. Of course, we know that the electronics inside the cap work best when liquids are kept out of that area. And how did the oil get up there anyway? Performance Distributors states how this odd occurrence can happen and how to rectify the issue on the Professional Tips page of its website.

Performance Distributors explains that oil finds its way up into the distributor due to a lack of ventilation in the engine. There are multiple ways to fix the issue according to Performance Distributors’ website. The first (and best) way to prevent this is to give the engine adequate ventilation. Companies such as Moroso or Canton Racing Products sell a crossover tube with two breathers that allow both engine banks to breathe adequately to prevent this from happening.

Drilling two 1/4-inch holes in the distributor housing will allow oil to drop back into the engine rather than migrating up further into the cap.

Another way to keep oil from reaching the top floor of your distributor is to drill relief holes in the distributor housing. This requires disassembly of the distributor, but when complete, this also prevents oil from getting up into the electricals. Performance Distributors also states that you can use some strategically-placed RTV silicone at the bottom of the distributor to stop the oil’s migration at the ground floor.

If you’re having problems with oil reaching the components under the cap of your distributor and you’ve been scratching your head as to why this is happening, check out this week’s Throwback Thursday. Your electronics will thank you and you can put those oil-soaked distributor days behind you!