On my 1.9l engine (automatic, air conditioning), there are two studs
to the right of the distributor that hold a plate onto the block.
The plate is about credit-card sized, but not square.      These
studs are each 2 inches long, and to my eye they would work just fine
if they were 1/2 inch long.   Being so long, they block my
distributor from rotating in a full arc.    Is there any reason not
to cut them shorter with a hack saw?