You are not the first one in there, then. The PO most likely bolted the distributor down without the clamp. Those forks will at some point snap off. If you are missing the clamp, find one.

 

You also get guys grinding the tabs off the distributor so they can rotate it, thinking they're adjusting the timing.

 

It had a clamp on it. So most likely, they installed it first without the clamp, broke the forks, then found the clamp and installed it correctly.
Or as the other post said, maybe wanted to adjust the timing.

 

Update
Well I have put about 450 miles on her since I installed the new distributor, and all is good.
I would say that I actually had two issues. One being the coil going bad, and the other would be oil getting into the distributor causing random misfires and engine shutting off.

 

UPDATE

Well I have put about a thousand miles on her with no issues. Until this morning.

Driving steady at about 60 mph, and she just stops running, no bucking or surging. I pull over to the side of the road.
I tried to start he three or four times. On the 4th try and about 10 seconds cranking and she fires right up as if nothing is wrong.
I turned around and headed home to see if I could get her there. I drove 20 miles back to my house without a single issue. shut her off and got in my other car and drove to work.

I solved the oil in the distributor issue by installing a new distributor. and at the same time, I installed a new cam sensor.
The coil was replaced when I couldn't start her at all.

The only thing I haven't replaced is the crank position sensor.

What do you all think ?

 

Yesterday I bought a crank position sensor from mopar dealership. I installed it and she started right up. I said cool, I will drive her to work tomorrow.
Well this morning she started right up and off I went. About 8 miles down the road she was cruising fine, then she quit running ,then like a split second she was running again, then a split second she quit, then a split second she was running again. This all happened while I was doing a steady 50 mph.
I took the next exit to go back home and switch cars. She ran fine the whole 8 miles back.

After she wouldn't start at all, replaced the coil. Then she would randomly shut off, and not start. i noticed my distributor was full of oil. I put a new distributor in along with a new cam sensor. She ran fine for about a thousand miles.
Then last week she shut of, but was able to get her started and drive 20 miles back home. I bought a new crank position sensor and I drove her this morning about 8 miles, I got 2 very brief shut offs, then she ran fine the 8 miles back home.

I am good at fixing **** that isn't working, but **** working one minute then not the next minute is my weak point.

Can someone please give me some ideas ? I want to give this jeep to my kid at the end of this year as his first car. except for this issue she is in great shape.

Help ???

 

Get a fuel pressure gauge and do a real fuel pressure test. The schrader valve test can spray fuel, but at like 20 psi. The engine won't run on low fuel pressure.

 

I will try that this weekend.
I always thought that when there is a fuel problem, a vehicle will stumble and die. The problem I am having is, it just shuts off.
So we will see.
Thank you, I will report back.