distributors cracking

[VBaccord24]

how does a distributor crack? what causes it?

[xfactortype1]

overtighten the dizzy bolts....and or engine vibrations

[TheNextAZN]

mine cracked out of nowhere .. and i didn't know it until i rinsed out my engine bay .. and i got water/steam in the distributer cap.
..wasn't a big deal .. steam evaporated.. then like a month later i had a new cap put on

[jumpman83]

the cap or the base?

[VBaccord24]

cap

[NAiL05]

Its basically made out of some sort of plastic. Plastic + heat = fatigue which leads to cracking. And its got a rotor constantly turning in there plus its distributing electricity so its bound to crack once it starts getting older. And not that expensive to replace.

[Ghostyman]

overtighten the dizzy bolts....and or engine vibrations

x2, especially about overtightening the bolts. I recommend putting them on with a screwdriver instead of a ratchet so you don't overtighten by accident. I've cracked two or three dizzy caps because of this. Take it off the a ratchet, though, since it's easier.