Nissan Repair: Engine, nissan altima, religously

Question
I have a 95 Nissan Altima GXE. It stopped running on us going out of town. After we hauled it home it cranked right up and ran for few days before stopping again. It now does this religously. It may run for a few days to a few minutes and always restarts,sometimes within minutes and sometimes a whole day later.The last time it did it I checked and it was getting plenty of fuel but no fire. I waited for it to crank again and let it run until it died. I promptly changed the coil and it still didn't crank so I changed the module and nothing. I pulled the distibuter and it has a piece that goes all the way around the shaft and has what looks to be an eye that comes off of it and has ametal wheel that looks like a timing wheel. I figured it was a stator but the local parts house said the 95 didn't have one that it must be part of the distributer. It will come off if you pull the piece on the shaft that turns the rotor(pressed on).I was wondering if this could be the problem and if it was actually a stator or is it part of the distributer I can only get by buying a whole distributer or can I buy just that piece? Also if it could be anything else. I bought this car for my daughter and don't really have a lot of money to spend on a mechanic to look at it(it is not giving off any codes). If you have any ideas for me to try I would really appreciate it. If all else fails I will put it in the shop but only after I try everything I can to fix it. Feel free to ask any questions you need to answer my question. Thank you for your time.
          Chris Ragsdale

Answer
Chris,

The part in the distributor is the optical shutter wheel.  There is an led that shines through the slots when the distributor turns and a pickup on the other side.  If there is oil on the shutter wheel it will screw up the timing to the engine and it will cut out.  If yours dies all the way and does not come back for thrity minutes until it will start again leads me to think this is not the problem.  Now, you can only get a rebuilt distributor unless Nissan can hook you up with the pick up and receiver.  The shutter wheel does not go bad and the olny time things get screwed up in there is when the internal oil seal fails.

If you are not getting fire for thirty minutes leads me to think it is the relay for the ignition circuit.  Check your relay and change it out and see if the problem is solved.  Email me back with your findings.