I started to remove the old distributor on our 500F to fit a 123 electronic. The top half has come off OK but despite lashings of penetrating fluid, pulling tugging and wiggling I can't shift the bottom half. The lug securing the top half has now broken off so there's no going back now. What should have been a 10 minute job has so far taken about 5 hours. Help!

This has cropped up before and I also struggled with my original 500 engine. In my case it was out of the car and dismantled, so I wacked the distributor from inside the crankcase. This broke the pin that secures the drive pinion, but that wouldn't matter to you now.
Now you've damaged the securing lug, are you able to spin the body using Stillsons or Vise-grips?

The bit I have broken is the'timing asdjust' slot not the base securing lug. See attached it is 1 that is broken. Could I saw through at 2 thus releasing the bit around the bolt/lug and then twist as you suiggest?

It did crop up last year. If I recall it was solved over a period of time with lots of penetrating oil and gently tapping back and forth, then resoaking each time. So tapping one way a few mm then the opposite, soaking it and repeat until it will eventually loosen up and come out but you need to be patient and not force it.

But it could be a real pain of a job with engine in situ?

yoddyman said:

The bit I have broken is the'timing asdjust' slot not the base securing lug. See attached it is 1 that is broken. Could I saw through at 2 thus releasing the bit around the bolt/lug and then twist as you suiggest?
View attachment 204452

Click to expand...

Your base part is scrap now,so it's probably worth a try. Mine was really, really stuck. It will come out one way or the other...heat helps.