[westralia]

Hi I have just acquired a 1995 Sierra. (trying to relive the simplicity of my youth with a couple of LJ50's).
The body is in excellent condition. 180,000 km. Engine cleaned up OK, but the maintenance not so great, and mostly short runs by previous owner.
In wanting to freshen up the motor with new oils, filters, plugs, etc, I thought I should get the rocker cover off and remove all the sludge and grime that has accumulated there (It is very gritty with sludge), otherwise defeats the new clean oil.
However in attempting to remove the rocker cover, I find there is not enough clearance from the diaphragm at the side of the distributor.
What is the story here?
I am a bit hesitant to remove the dizzy, as although I am very good at basic maintenance and get big mileage out of my vehicles, I am no mechanic. So I am worried about distributor / timing alignment if I pull it out and put it back in.
Very simple problem, but I can't find the answer in the archives.
What is the advice from the initiated?
Thanks.
Andrew.

[Blkfxx]

Lifting the front and rotating the cover around worked for me.

[buzbox]

If you do need to take the distributor off, get a texta and mark the rotor button in position in two direction in a way that those marks only line up when it is spun. A reference marker if you like to call it that. Also make note of where the rotor button would sit in the cap.
You wont be twisting the dist, so the timing will be the same as when you remove it.

Hard to explain, easy to show and do.

[westralia]

Thanks for the advice folks.
Obviously I did not persevere long enough, and it did come off as Blkfxx said.
I sort of had a half-recollection of another later Suzuki having an indentation at that corner of the rocker cover.
Anyway, it went back on even easier.
Thanks again.