OldShadeTree

It looks like the igniter in the distributor of my 1992 Honda Accord is held in by a screw that I can see, but has an impossible angle to access with a screwdriver. Can anyone advise on how to remove this little jewel?

kodyaccord

have you tried rotating the rotor into different position to try to gain access. Is your distributor the vtec or non vtec?

fauxthewin

can you turn the car over in spurts to try and turn the rotor to the right spot

OldShadeTree

On the 1992 Honda Accord: Thank you guys for your input. Here's the bottom line. The distributor has to be pulled to do this job. Once you have the distributor on the bench, changing out the igniter is an easy swap. I did a lot of reading on this to be able to i.d. the igniter as the failed culprit, and I picked up some good tips along the way.

Change the coil at the same time. A new coil can cause the old igniter to fail, and vise-versa.
Use the grease provided with the new igniter or it will burn up.
The phillips head screws in the distributor will strip easily. Use some force on your screwdriver when you break them loose so you don't strip the head.
Don't use an OKI brand of igniter, it is not very good. The old one I pulled happened to be an OKI. A great Ah ha! moment.
On electrical items, get the good stuff at Napa and not the cheap stuff at Autozone. The price is higher but the cost is lower. Get your head around that, it is important.
A manual can be fairly general in its instructions, but there are still a few good tips on procedures, etc. that justify giving it a once over before you start.
Use a little of the special grease on the rotor. I had the rotor on and off a couple of times, and it would have been impossible not to ruin it without a little lube.
The igniter is also refered to as the ignition module in some instances.
Replace the distributor O-ring and put some oil on it and in the O-ring groove when you slip the O-ring on the distributor shaft.
Don't forget the dust cover goes on the distributor before the rotor. Don't forget the thin rubber seal/gasket when you put the distributor cap back on.

Nothing has sounded as good as hearing that engine fire after all of this was said and done. It made all the attention to detail worth it.