The devil also worked on the Ford 390. Whatever engineer thought it would be a good idea to flange the intake so the pushrods go through it had to be a Satan worshiper.
There's a way to take a box end wrench, heat it, bend it just right, and make it for taking the distributors out without taking all the other stuff off. I have such a wrench, without it, distributor swap is a major pain for sure.
Welp, maybe you should invest in a, distributor wrench, it's two L shape ,when connected looks like a z . About $10 most parts . P.s. G. M. Is famous for special tools .. Hope the girls are doing good,
You, my friend, have more patience than I could EVER muster. I would take ONE look under the hood of a California compliant engine, close the hood and run for the hills. Keep doing what your dreams command and thanks for the great videos.
California emissions standards don't make emissions controls any more complex than they need to be. Polluting emissions are the result of sub-optimal combustion, and sub-optimal combustion is undesirable from any perspective. Even if all you care about is getting the most horsepower out of the fuel you're paying for, you still want optimal combustion. The only thing California emissions standards are responsible for is pushing engine manufacturers to optimize their combustion engines sooner than they would've done otherwise.
I'm a retired GM Mechanic who built engines 8 hrs a day and there are so many thing wrong here I could cry, Ive met with pro stock race crews running 100,000 dollar engines, Those spark plugs are a rolling joke, Please dont use motor flush unless you like trashing the bearings, Replace that short oil filter with an ACDeleco PF1218 it's longer and has an internal check valve to prevent drain back, The longer filter sits flush with the oil pan and exhaust but not lower, as long as its not hanging lower then the oil pan you dont have to worry if its going to get torn off, This is the size filter that was used on all 350's years back.(I was able to spend time with the mechanics for pro stock, I got to drink beer and talk about why they ran an AC Delco plug in a dragster advertising for a "Splitfire" type of plug, There answers was given sheepishly)
PhillLsx Ga. Fuel additives and motor flush are absolutely not gimmicks but you need to know exactly what they are doing, When I disassemble any older/abused engine I find pockets of deposits that contribute to keeping any oil dirty, Of corse I scrub all of this out when servicing the motor, Motor flush breaks up these deposits quickly sending all the loose dirt into your oil, And its chunky and gritty and nasty, If the dirt in the oil slows filtration, any excess oil is bypasses directly to your bearings,(filters are designed to allow dirty oil to flow rather than no oil at all) is not good that's why we recommend you just start changing your oil every 1000 miles or so, To safely carry the deposits away, Now lets talk about fuel additives(sometimes can be used to pass an emissions test on a finicky converters) Fuel additives can be hydroscopic allowing them to absorb excess water and contamination and carry it out of the tank. Do you know why old truckers get that rig to pass a million miles???? Oil additives, specifically Lucas HD oil stabilizer and I use it in every older and old style engine i own. I was an ASE master tech with Chevrolet citified training.
Yeaaahhh I'm glad I am not the only one. I've used it (hesitantly) on cars that sat in fields for years, and already beat up with oil like tar. But it's not something I would use for a halfway ok engine.
@munchkin42 - Its that asian mentality. Women over 30 are old women so he is an old man compared to the girls that were throwing themselves at him. I used to go to asia and that was the case back then too. Now Im much older than Winston. Im not a really old man but not in my prime like him.
Honestly guys, this content is amazing. I have been watching your main channels for a couple of years, but I have to say this channel is really awesome and I find these automotive videos super entertaining and interesting. Its great that you can take a break from this china drama and focus on something that isnt all politics.
Okay but my dude has no damn idea wtf he is doing. He needs to be honest and make that clear so people don't think they should do things the way he does. This is a pathetic excuse for an automotive channel if I'm honest.
For the distributor bolt, there is a wrench you can buy at most auto parts stores called a distributor wrench. Its sort of like a big C shaped wrench, required on most GM and Mopar engines that put the distributor in the back.
Yeah. All LA and Magnum 3.9, 5.2 and 5.9s have it in the back. The B/ RB engines 383, 400 and 440 all have them up front. I have a wrench as I have quite a few small block Mopar stuff
I don’t even care about cars but watching this feels like it’s your calling Winston... you know, being a dad, California, repairing retro cars... Watching these videos is a joy, it’s super interesting and I’ve actually learned some things about repairing cars that otherwise I’d never look up myself. I hope you, Cmilk and your families are enjoying yourselves!
Yes! This vehicle! What a bute!!! Man, it's awesome seeing someone take gentle care of such an incredible relic (well relic in our time). Muscle cars are more my shtick, love the look and sound of older engines, it was never about the power for me but the feel of it. Going for a long drive, being entranced by the highway roads, it's like your in the engine block itself! You can imagine the rocker arms, the valves moving, the belts and crank turning! God what a feeling to sit back and appreciate human design!
Thanks Winston for some good armchair repair watching ... so much in such a little space ... I like old style analog engines for working on ... those prior to "smog control mania" ... but I also like to breath clean air ... damned if you do, damned if you don't.
I changed the distributor on my 89 formula 350, no to bad But the plugs are a pain. Mostly have to get at them from underneath. Solid video love these cars.
It's not the engine but how it is put into the car... The looks like the Chevy 350 which is pretty standard but compared to an older firebird, this has a smaller engine bay. So that sucker was literally shoehorned in! Great work you're doing!
You brought me back to the 85 Camaro I bought brand new. Changed oil every 3k, put 6 exhaust systems on it. The rest of the parts replaced were counted on my hands. Beat it every day of it's life 8 -)
I've had 7 F bodies. The TBI 305 is not that bad to work on, once you get used to it. There's plenty of tricks to learn when working on these. Specifically the spark plugs, with the right 3/8 drive ratchet and wrenches and spark plug sockets, it's about a 30-45 minute job. As far as the distributor, same thing... We have a specific wrench to get to that 14mm bolt for the distributor hold down that I've used. Getting the distributor stabbed is not difficult, I highly recommend putting cylinder number 1 to TDC on the compression stroke (using the marks on the harmonic balancer tab), and then you can stab the distributor anywhere and reinstall wires in the specific firing order clockwise starting from where the rotor is pointing (make it point towards cyl#1 if possible). 18436572 on the distributor cap. The TBI cars benefit from smog pump deletes and catalyst deletes and headers. I always removed the smog equipment from mine. Custom exhaust is a must. Those TBIs are very limited power wise due to the emissions and economy focus of the engines, I recommend changing the heads , cam and intake /fuel delivery entirely, as they are all limiting for power gains, due to the inherent design of the head ports and camshaft profile.. A stall converter is beneficial and so are better gears, if it's an auto I recommend 3.42. Also I like to advance the timing on these to about 6-8 degrees BTDC, use a timing light and make sure to unplug the EST wire when doing this. (EST wire is a brown wire coming out of the harness by the AC evaporator box on the passenger side, very easy to spot.) Stock timing is supposed to be set at Zero , so advancing it usually helps with a little more power. If you must keep the TBI 305 there are custom chips that can be burned for you and plenty of cam and head options, and you can even use a performance carburetor intake like an Air Gap with a TBI adapter.
Thanks guys. Your videos give me hope. I've been living in China for 4 years already and as you may understand it's hard for me to consider my life out of China and start a new chapter. Glad to see that you did it.
at first i thought this was a TPI engine, but after seeing it was the TBI 305, well, now i see what your saying. the TPI 305 & 350 were easy to work on,i own a '87 & '91 Formula 350. they are tremendous cars, and the TPI's were easy for me to work on. love your video's, thanks for this
You guys are the best! My main passions are pos old cars(my current daily driver and first car is a 1986 Mercedes 300e), international relations, hospitality, and historical architecture. For years I’ve loved watching all of your channels. This video makes me more concerned about buying a 1974-1981 Pontiac Firebird Formula like I want and makes me rather buy a Toyota pickup or AE86.
F bodies are fun cars but many are very under powered . I was a Pontiac tech for many years and all of these things you did in this video are easy to do "if you do these things every day " You did well with these maintenance /repair items .
Winston, good read on the plugs. Injectors have a locating pin on the bottom that should have placed 1 forward and 1 rearward instead of sideways. Vacuum leak of course can cause lean issue however, bad EGR most common in the day " not fully closing, etc.". Fuel systems deteriorate with time. Fuel pressure and flow should be looked at. I would throw a new pump in it just because.... filter etc. of course. Thank you for sharing your passion. Winston, what are some of your other Dream cars ? I'm not a Patreon member but I may have something I can Donate sitting around. Family has been in the automotive business since 1947 and its pretty cheap for me to ship a car to California. Old school trick is to add 1 quart trans fluid to your oil change. Very high detergent in trans fluid does an amazing job. Thats if I would want to. I am hesitant in doing so. Doing a flush can also cause old seals to leak. Bad flashback from the older diesel Mercedes that used no detergent oil. Flush 1 of those and you have leaks I cannot describe. Many a customers children and grandchildren have made such fatal errors.
In my own experience, fuel pressure issues in TBI systems are fairly obvious on startup. If fuel pressure is even slightly off would take longer than usual to start up. It’s also been my experience that nearly every TBI replacement fuel pump is an absolute piece of shit, I’d trust a stocker WAY more than any replacement...
I've owned about 21 3rd gens. I own 2 of these now. My 88 is a Formula. A tip for doing spark plugs on the PS, especially the rear plugs, is to first go from underneath, put the spark plug socket over the plug, and put a long extension wrench over the end of the socket. You literally have to go a slight tiny 1/4 of an inch at a time. Lots of patience!!
Yeah, that TBI 305 isn't much fun is it? I had an '88 Formula 350 once that looked just like this, same color, same wheels and everything. TPI 5.7. Only difference is the decals said "Formula 350" instead of just "Formula". Kinda tourquey, with the rarer Australian rear axle, but still not LS level of power for sure
@@ryansellers2581 You can thank the old "Can't out perform the Corvette." rule from that era. The 6spd out of the Vette would of course bolt right up....but no, you can't have it in your F-Body.
@@thegrandinquisitor8239 Hell of a lot of truth in your comment . Chevy was testing a new Corvette & Pontiac showed up at the proving grounds with a Turbo Fiero on the same day . The Turbo Fiero idea was "AXED" that day . It is difficult to find good information about the event . I was told about it at GM training in Clarence NY .
Please keep these coming . In the crazy world we are in right now it’s great to have a little bit of down time into normalcy watching your channels. I couldn’t be asked to ever miss a video. Not today. 👍👍
That's a sweet & rare one with the 5 speed, most of those were automatics. I've always wanted a GTA, but the Formula was much lighter which equals quicker. Old Car Memories Channel did a great informative video on that generation, worth a look at.
A pro mechanic friend of mine has an older brother who is an automotive design engineer and they used to get in horrible arguments, LOL. The mechanic brother swore that the engineers never designed cars for easy maintenance or repair --- instead, designs were often about saving costs. Hang in there!!! Great video.
I have that same car. I have been restoring it ... I LOVE HER. The two passenger side back plugs are most easily changed with the car up in the air and taking off the Trans mount/cross member in order to let the engine tilt back just a little . with a few swivel joints on a ratchet ... you'll still be cussing the entire time LOL
Engine flush contains solvents. It's predominately kerosene, and as such naturally thins engine oil which aids cleaning. This is why they advise that you only use it at idle speed, because the cushioning effect of the oil between moving parts such as the conrods and crank is reduced. Personally I have used a car with engine flush added for 1 week without ill effect.
I drove from Montreal, Quebec to Lake George, N.Y. with engine flush added to the engine.... you’re talking 180-190 miles (300 klms) and 3 hours travel. That I’m sure, I’ve done it literally 100 times over 50 years. Drove there, parked up a dead end street, got out my 10W40 oil (for the summer heat, 10W30 in the winter), and changed it right there. Never had a problem and the crap that came out...sheeesh!
I’m so glad to see you guys carving out a niche for yourselves here in the US. Car guy daycare: sleeping baby cradled in a bucket seat. I love it! Of course, I grew up with parents who had a 71 Corvette with side pipes as the family car so I’m a little warped. In the pre-seatbelt/child seat days between the ages of 3 - 10, I rode many a mile perched on or just behind the center console between the front seats. My older sister would sit in front of my mom in the passenger’s seat. Utter madness.
FYI, I own a 1998 powerboat that uses a GM TBI 5.7L marine engine (TBI unit similar to yours) . About 2 years ago it began to lean surge when running at cruising speed. I removed the injectors and sent them off for professional cleaning and flow rate checking. They found that the injector flow rate was low by 10 - 20%. After cleaning, both injectors operated at 100% of rated flow, and the lean surge disappeared. Well worth the $$.
GM had an issue with even their factory security systems stranding you, i had a 2000 Malibu that would randomly think i was trying to steal it and would make me wait 15min before i would be able to try to start my car again. One time it did it to me 4x in a row and i just had to sit there for an hour.
I had once a rental Renault here in Europe years ago, brand new, and the anti-theft system locked us out several times, I had to return it to the rental company and got a different car, so it's not only US built cars...
The problem with putting fresh oil in your new filter before you install it; and why manufacturers don't recommend it, is that you end up with oil in the system that has not been filtered. In order to avoid this problem; you must fill the filter using one of the small holes around the edge. Not the big one in the middle
A friend had one of these. TBI also, great suspension, great brakes. Not as much power as the tuned port but a really great car. Invest in some crows foot wrenches you will need the for oil lines and power steering as well as that distributor.
You need a distributor wrench. Use a single edge razor blade to scrape the gaskets. Sandpaper BAD. If you note the position of the old distributor, new one pops in
Replace the heater core wether it needs it or not. It's time consuming. So while you are in this repair and replace state of mind, just do it now rather than later when it does (and will) fail. Will make good content. I regretted bypassing mine.
HI Winston, You have the Patience of a freaking SAINT!! Excellent job!! My brother owned his own foreign & domestic car repair shop, but as a child, I used to watch him in the garage & hand him a tool or two..you brought back some pleasant memories, thanks!! Matt, love the So what are you gonna do about...questions at the end!! Love you guys!! Stay awesome! 😎💕
raymond80hr don't listen to that do it every 3000 miles. If you run that 10,000 mile routine pull the dipstick and look at color of oil at 5000 miles, it will already be as dark as it can get. You can't tell me that oil is still good or optimal.
I'm a journeyman parts tech. I was told by the Quaker State Rep as well as the Motul motorcycle oil rep " oil doesn't " wear out", it gets dirty. Flush the old oil. If synthetic works go ahead but with old US made V8s my choice is semi synthetic oil. If you have a old V8 or any other engine with a flat tappet cam, use a bit of oil with ZDDP ( zinc). It'll keep you from wiping the cam lobes
@Frank White you know that Pennzoil is owned by QS? Anyways, the bad old oil stocks are ( or from what I've heard) gone. The basic bean stock stuff is I guess ok in a Cavalier or Neon but I wouldn't run it in anything else. Synthetic oil or even the blends are good and because the boys are just running small block Chevs, a semi.synthetic is good enough. And semi synthetic oil is refined to the point where it would have been considered motorsport oil 20 years ago. I've run Motul exclusively in all my Ducati motorcycles. I only have a 796 now but I prefer what the World Superbike guys are using for a high stress piece like a motorcycle engine
@@spankthemonkey3437 if your oil is black after 5000 miles you got problems. The oil of today is so far more advanced than 50 to 60 years ago. There is ZERO reason for your oil to be black after 5000 miles unless you are talking about a diesel. Black oil was a result of lead in REGULAR gas and zinc burn in older pre-SN rated oils. Unleaded fuels today are much cleaner and more refined today. Synthetic oil by the way has a higher flash point, so in essence, it doesnt burn.
Wow just found this by accident, good for you Winston. Glad to see you are branching out. There is a worse engine than that one, it’s the tuned port version of that motor. Everything on that motor is a Pain in the ass! Hope you are all adjusting well to life Away from the gong fei
Pretty cool car! Real clean! I have done probably a half dozen 3rd gen f body 5.7 carbureted swaps in Firebird's, and Camaro's or more in my hayday. When the 6 cylinder cars crapped out, I would gank all that computer crap, and wiring. It was easy to do. That Motor flush is basically Kerosene. Get the same results using that. If I was me, I would put O.E. AC Delco plugs in there. Any other has a tendency to foul out, but whatever that is seems to be okay for now. Rebuilding the TB is always a good idea on those. I owned a few 2nd gen Firebirds personally. 1970 Formula was my teenage memory. Bad ass car.
Once had an 1982 Firebird with the carbureted (2 barrel) 2.8L V-6 and the 5 speed trans. Even though the engine was small, the car ran surprisingly well and got great mileage. The spark pugs were very easy to get to and the car never gave me any mechanical problems. I later regretted selling it when I bought a Z-28 Camaro, with Tuned Port Injection (gas guzzler) and spark plugs that were a nightmare to change!!
Full syn oil laeks after running in an older enhine is a well known issue, having to do with its abilty to weep past dried out seals and gaskets. Sometimes, it can be solved with "seal sweller", an additive.
@@machinist7230 That depends. If the car has been sitting a long time, sure. If it's been in semi operating condition, you shouldn't have any issues with a high grade synthetic. We're talking about a car designed in the late 80s, not the mid 70s.
i ran Mobil 1 synthetic in my 130,000 mile civic. the good news is it never rusted again because the entire engine by and bottom of the car was constantly coated in oil. Every seal and gasket in that entire engine leaked oil. supposedly the enhanced additive package in synthetic oil removes the build up around the seals and causes them to leak. I won't make that mistake again. certainly made my filters last longer though. just keep adding oil.
synthetic oils have a more uniform molecule size which makes them more stable at high temps. Machinist 72 is absolutely correct, the leaking problem is due to old seals and resealing the engine will generally solve these problems. modern fuels also cause problems with older seals but that is another matter.
They made a special wrench that was about a foot long and bent in a C shape that was used to get to the dist. bolt. There were several of them for different models.
I feel for you brother, and salute your perseverance. All the crap in engine compartments makes it next to impossible to work on cars yourself. I gave up on DIY a long time ago for that reason. Keep up the good work and best of luck on your project!
Fine :) I have a 1989 Formula 305 TPI (EXP) in Germany. I like your video. I was changing my spark plugs "decades" ago, My Formula sits sind 2007 in a barn and waits until I find a work shop to get it on the road again. So. I changed my sparkplugs from underneath the car. That is an easy way to do it! I also tried it from the "hood" side. Liek you've said: no problem on the first three on the drivers side. But the rest is a pain in the ...
TBI was in 3rd generation F Cars in 1982 when TPI was not. GM added TBI to meet EPA and emissions. TBI was in pre 1982 earlier GM higher end cars. GM introduces newer technology into higher end GM cars. Some 1980 1/2 Cadillac's or maybe Oldsmobiles have TBI engines. By 1982 TBI was in many different GM engines and the 12 pin ALDL test interface was on most GM vehicles that had computers. Some 1981 and 1982 used the older 5 pin ALDL connector. 1980 1/2 buick oldsmobile and Pontiac used a test adapter with 5 to 6 wires with pins. Once GM started to make TBI in high volumes there was much learning in field failures. TPI came out I think in some 1985 F Cars engines. A buddy had a V6 2.8 TPI that seemed like as powerful as an 1982 V8 TBI. GM made millions of TBI cars before the F car got some TPI engines years later. Cost matters. TBI was lower in cost to build into cars than TPI.
The TBI injection was used on their base 5.0L V8. It was really an electronic version of the carburator replaced. It was pretty basic, reliable and fairly easy to service. The multi port injection was used on the 5.7L V8 and it looked waaaay cooler.
@@standarddef8769 Yes it was. It was the top engine in 1985 in the Trans Am and Z28. Available only with the automatic. And of course on the 85 Corvette with the 350.
Working on my brother's Firebird (1968) and and my own Chrysler New Yorker (1966) made me very cognizant of repairing machines when I designed aircraft at Boeing.
I am the former CEO of General Motors who worked his way up after starting out as an engineer. I spent over 75 years designing the small block platform and writing all the documentation. I am here to tell you that you did a great job doing your DIY tune-up. I designed the process to be frustrating as possible for owners so that they would just give up and take their vehicle to a dealership. Job security for the mechanics. Yes it is a conspiracy.
Nice video! Yeah, the passenger side is a bit tricky to get the plugs out. You need to reach them from underneath, but you figured that out by yourself ;-) Fellow Firebird owner with the 305 TBI here.
Hi Winston, Really enjoying this series of videos as I think these firebirds are great. I used to have a 90 v6 in red but I sold it in the hope I could buy the v8... sadly still waiting! Greetings from the UK.
It is a small block chevy, one of the greatest engines ever built. Late 80s, early 90s were a bit sketchy, by then they were done with traditional carburetors and yet they didn't master fuel injection. Older cars like your vette are easier to work on, and newer engines have direct port injection.
I have had poor luck with Pontiacs. They are nightmares on wheels. As for oil, I used a full-synthetic oil in my high-mileage daily driver for a few years with no new oil leaks. It leaks a tiny amount of oil, but it did that before switching to the synthetic. Since engine oil is the lifeblood of automobiles, I try to get the best I can get for anything I have, even if the car is a beater. Your spark plug fiasco reminds me of that time I had a Ford Cargo van which had a major design flaw. One spark plug was dang near impossible to remove due to frame clearance issues. The first five were fine, that last one took two hours of fiddling. Come to find out, it was the original spark plug, nobody had ever changed it until I came along lol. I'm also reminded of a Ford where to replace a headlamp, you had to jack the car up, take off a wheel, and take off the fender panel to reach the headlight. I sometimes think domestic car manufacturers don't really think things through or they just don't care or they try to make it so hard to repair that you go to a dealer or just replace the car (with another domestic car).
Hey, the saying goes “GM cars run poorly longer than most cars run at all.” Sure, the door handles break (bend a wire coat hanger) and the ignition keys fall out (duct tape) and you might need to try to start them several times before they pop off and you need to just ignore the lights on the dash and bring a Bluetooth speaker with you because the stereo is history, but they do run.
Soon as I saw your title, I knew you were talking about the spark plugs. Remove the tire and go through the fender well. .... Also, paint (flat black) the pinch welds at the bottom of the car. They are always paired the color of the car. Really cleans up the bottom line of the car..... works on all cars with visible pinch welds.
As a South African, I've only ever seen one 3rd gen Firebird in the 'flesh'. It was owned by a guy near just outside of Durban. Not many of them made it down our way. Still my favourite looking cars of all time.
If you're in AZ ever again... I have a 4th Generation 1999 Trans Am. It's had a lot of tasteful work done. It's fast, cool, fun. I think you'd love it. I bought it for 9 grand and made it awesome. You can do a video on it.
I used to own a 89 formula 350 TPI with t-tops back in college in 1995 until today I watch RU-vid videos about these cars! I wish I didn't sell it . Now I own a Porsche 911 turbo and cayenne turbo but my true love is my old Formula 350 😃
I had bought a few worthless whips over the years and ended up having to rebuild the motors. I am not a mechanic but surely became pretty good at mechanics via trial and error. I feel your pain LOL ;) The satisfaction of knowing your vehicle intimately is experienced through your victories...oh so sweet. Prosperity is a good teacher but poverty is a better one.
LOL This video caught my eye literally by the title. My dad use to tell me that my Firebird was the Devil's Car! It took me 2 days and a lot of patience to change my spark plugs the first time. I didn't have a jack, so I had to drive two wheels onto a curb to get underneath. Trust me, I feel your pain! :)
If you think this is bad, wait until you deal with a lot of transverse FWD V6s. A lot need the entire intake manifold taken off to get to the back bank. Also, you definitely need a few swivel ratcheting wrenches, they changed my life.
I had a 90 Camaro with a 305 tbi ran ok for what it was. I put a cheap summit racing 87 to 95 350 in it with cop car injectors and the prom chip from a police caprice. It wasn't much more than the 305 to be honest. The 3.73 gears was a good modification for it. It helped. However they are cheap simple systems that do work very well. And run pretty good for that era. Great video by the way.
I used to not mind working on my 92 Z28 too much, but I guess there are a few tricks on small blocks. Seems that a couple of the spark plugs are easier to get at from the bottom if my memory serves me. BTW, the condition of the engine bay and the undercarriage definitely confirms a 20k mile original car.
I feel bad that I did not warn you , Never put synthetic oil in a Motor that is older then 2006 . Especially a motor that was never driven hard or constant since 1990 immediately take out that Synthetic oil or you will create a “ rear seal leak” trust me you will regret putting anything synthetic on this car.. USE regular 5w 30 oil , regular DOT 3 brake fluid , Regular rear end gear oil, REGULAR transmission GM type fluid.
TRUST ME I HAVE OWNED 4 OLDER CARS. ALL REAR LEAKS ALSO I HAD two with a clutch , The oil pissed out on to my flywheel and into my starter and killed my started every 2000 miles. WARNING THIS IS NOT URBAN ANYTHING. No millennials know this. You will not go faster with synthetic and you will have perfect lubrication. Synthetic oil cleans everything including a concrete sidewalk if you leak it on it for two weeks.. it destroys a old seals..
Half true and half not. Most oils now actually are technically synthetic blends, just still with conventional labeling. Synthetic oil is actually cheaper to make than dino now due to so much natural gas fracking, and newer car standards like SN+ and GF5 actually basically require a synthetic blend. Some cars it happens, some cars it doesn't, he probably would be better off not using it, or at least using a high mileage oil.
2 things: get a distributor wrench. they're made specifically for getting at that annoying hold down bolt. you don't need to worry about lining up the oil pump drive. just get the rotor pointing in the right direction (find the right tooth on the gear) and crank the motor. it will quickly line itself up with the oil pump drive and drop down the last 1/4" or so and you're done.