The Chevy Camaro has been a favorite in the muscle car category since the company introduced it. Camaros in the 2000s don't have distributors, but the 5.0L and 5.7L engines had distributors from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s, and the smaller 3.8L engine joined the pack in the mid-1990s. To replace the distributor on some models will require a jack.
Look for the distributor at the back of the engine block; you can find it by the spark plug wires leading to it. Unhook the negative cable from the battery. Use a wrench to take off the water pump, as well as the crankshaft balancer. The crankshaft balancer is a round piece on the crankshaft near the bottom of the engine; it looks like a metal tire with a hubcap and a series of holes around the "tire."
Grab the spark plug cables by the boot and turn one-half turn each way before detaching. For your 1993 to 1994 cars, take the cables directly off the distributor. For 1995 to 98 cars, you have to get the wiring harness for the spark plugs off the distributor by putting the car up on a jack, unbolting the power steering pump, loosening the wire harness from its clips, and then taking it off the distributor.
Unbolt the distributor hold-down bolts and tilt the distributor toward you so that the driveshaft detaches from the camshaft's end. As you do this, note and mark the position of the driveshaft so you can align parts properly during re-installation.
Oil the O-ring on the distributor before installing new parts.
Put in your new Camaro distributor so the driveshaft fits down properly into the camshaft's end; you may have to turn the distributor until the camshaft pin goes into the camshaft slot. Get part number 22173E for the 5.7L engine in your 1997 Camaro from Parts Train. If you're ordering a part, know your model, year and engine size to get the correct part, as parts numbers differ among manufacturers.
Replace parts in the reverse order of Steps 1 and 2.
Find the distributor at the back of the engine block; locate it by the spark plug wires leading to it. Unhook the negative cable from the battery terminal.
Unbolt the air cleaner assembly and take it off, as well as all electrical connections to the distributor. Make sure you label the connectors to avoid confusion on re-installation.
Take off the distributor cover as well as the wire retainer, if your car has one. Use a screwdriver to unscrew the screws and take off the distributor cap.
Make marks with a marker to indicate the rotor's position to the distributor housing, as well as the housing's position to the engine block. Unbolt the distributor hold-down bolt and take off the hold-down clamp.
Lift the distributor partially out, and when the rotor quits turning, mark its position. Then finish lifting out the distributor.
Put your new Camaro distributor in the engine block. Check that the rotor lines up with last mark you made, then slide the distributor in, making sure all other marks line up. You can order part number 22114E for a 1985 Camaro from Parts Train. Give your model, year, and engine size wherever you order, as parts numbers differ.
Replace parts in the reverse order of Steps 1 through 4.
