Distributor won't go in....
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 30,183
Likes: 313
From: Lake Norman NC
I had the exact same thing happen to me on my 383 over the weekend...EXACT same thing! I messed it with for about 3 hours, and couldn't get it to drop, then i went out the next morning, and it fell right in. Weird..i know..good luck, it will fall hopefully. 
Pro
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 560
Likes: 1
From: Mooresville NC
I got burned last week with the same problem. I took my distributor a apart to clean and regrease. And it wouldn't go back in. It was about quarter of an inch from the manifold.
Silly me put the distributor gear in upside down. I didn't think it allowed you to do that, but it worked and fell right in.
Silly me put the distributor gear in upside down. I didn't think it allowed you to do that, but it worked and fell right in.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,672
Likes: 1
From: New Cumberland PA
Originally Posted by GrandSportC3
about an inch to go...
I wonder why I never had any issues with my old engine?? It would always drop right in..
I wonder why I never had any issues with my old engine?? It would always drop right in..
As a side note, to many people make an issue out of lining up the oil pump shaft. That is not an big deal. As mentioned in this thread and any earlier one, just bump the starter and when the slots line up the distributor will drop in place.
Last edited by mandm1200; Feb 3, 2005 at 08:20 AM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 844
Likes: 0
From: Central KY
Previous thread was on this issue - but...
Watch carefully when you lower the distributor down. The rotor will spin a bit as it slides down. You want "pre-index" your oil pump shaft so it is lined up right when the distributor falls down to meet up with it. I always look to get my rotor back to a certain position (this is when pulling and replacing it in an otherwise complete engine that was running before I pulled the distributor), so I have to back it up a few degrees to account for the rotation when I drop it in. That's where I also take the trouble to account for that rotation when I line up the oil pump shaft.
Watch carefully when you lower the distributor down. The rotor will spin a bit as it slides down. You want "pre-index" your oil pump shaft so it is lined up right when the distributor falls down to meet up with it. I always look to get my rotor back to a certain position (this is when pulling and replacing it in an otherwise complete engine that was running before I pulled the distributor), so I have to back it up a few degrees to account for the rotation when I drop it in. That's where I also take the trouble to account for that rotation when I line up the oil pump shaft.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 971
Likes: 7
From: roanoke va
can you get the dist. to drop in all the way anywhere if you can pull the dist. out and turn it 180 degrees and drop it again do this untill you work the oil pump shaft and dist. to its proper location. it will take a little trial and error but it has work for me for years. what you are doing is walking the oil pump shaft around with the dist. and if you can not get the dist. to drop all the way in some where you may have other problems.
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Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 182,997
Likes: 88
From: Lakeland, FL
Cruise-In IV-V-VI-VII-VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03, '06, '17
Comp, the distributor has not been in the car so far. That's the main reason why I'm afraid to bump the starter... If anything doesn't match up, it could cause damage to cam or distributor gear..
BTW- the bronze gear on the distributor has been in the engine when the engine was dynoed but the distributor hasn't been in the engine yet...
BTW- the bronze gear on the distributor has been in the engine when the engine was dynoed but the distributor hasn't been in the engine yet...
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 182,997
Likes: 88
From: Lakeland, FL
Cruise-In IV-V-VI-VII-VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03, '06, '17
Wills, I've tried to drop the distributor in at several locations and it wouldn't drop down all the way in any position..
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 3,892
Likes: 13
From: Pettis Performance 565 with two stages of Nitrous Supply nitrous 1.082, 4.61 at 155, 7.17 at 192
Originally Posted by pws69
Stick a long screwdriver down the dist hole into one of the slots in the Oil Pump shaft. Rotate the shaft about 1-2 teeth clockwise, then try dropping the dist in again. If it doesn't drop in, move the shaft another tooth clockwise. Keep trying - eventually, it will drop in.
Pro
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 673
Likes: 0
From: Jackson Ms
sounds to me like some'm up with the new gear you had installd. i'ed get a old distributor and set it side by side and look to see if any thing looks off. 1 inch is a lot! i bet gear cant be meshing up.
good luck with it!
good luck with it!
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 11,322
Likes: 1
From: Living in the Hartland
As long as the dist gear is not upside down, you can bump the starter and it will drop. What I have done is find where the rotor points at #1 cyl then pull the dist and back it off one 'tooth' since the rotor will turn when the dist drops that last little bit.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 958
Likes: 0
From: shawnee ks
Oliver.Do you have the cap off. The easiest way is to have the cap off rotor turned towards #1 and as you drop it in when you get close move the rotor as you are putting it in ,when it falls into place .Now have someone bump the starter with you having a finger in #1. When it blows past your finger that is # 1 line your rotor with your cap and start putting your wires on.Im sure you know all this,its the easiest things we forget sometimes. 
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 12,065
Likes: 2
From: Smalltownville Michigan
Cruise-In 5, 6 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
Originally Posted by grayhook
sounds to me like some'm up with the new gear you had installd. i'ed get a old distributor and set it side by side and look to see if any thing looks off. 1 inch is a lot! i bet gear cant be meshing up.
good luck with it!
good luck with it!
something just sounds too goofed up to be a meshing problem. is there any way you can take a dowel and measure how far down it needs to be in the hole then compare it to the dist? that would show you how far it is going down, or at least a reasonable idea.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,652
Likes: 80
From: Lakeland Florida
I went back and reread many of the posts and comments. When I put my distributor back in it did not align to the oil pump shaft. I had to "walk" the distributor around one gear tooth at a time until I could get it to align.
Now by this time you have probably done all of that, used a screwdriver to try and rotate and align the shaft, and may have even considered bumping the starter to help with this.
Now here is where I reread your posts. I am reading that this distributor has not been in this engine, but was in a previous engine. When you had the engine dynoed, you had a different distributor in it. Maybe the problem then is with the length of the distributor itself, and not of the brass gear position, or the pump shaft alignment.
Do you still have the other distributor you dynoed the motor with. Can you measure the length of these two to see if the overall lenght is what may be causing the problem. Even if the length is the same, there is a sleeve, or shoulder on the distributor shaft casing that allows you to clamp the distributor down. Are these two shoulders at the same location.
kdf
Now by this time you have probably done all of that, used a screwdriver to try and rotate and align the shaft, and may have even considered bumping the starter to help with this.
Now here is where I reread your posts. I am reading that this distributor has not been in this engine, but was in a previous engine. When you had the engine dynoed, you had a different distributor in it. Maybe the problem then is with the length of the distributor itself, and not of the brass gear position, or the pump shaft alignment.
Do you still have the other distributor you dynoed the motor with. Can you measure the length of these two to see if the overall lenght is what may be causing the problem. Even if the length is the same, there is a sleeve, or shoulder on the distributor shaft casing that allows you to clamp the distributor down. Are these two shoulders at the same location.
kdf
Pro
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 641
Likes: 2
From: Storm lake Iowa
Scan through Lars' paper on the subject, maybe you've missed something. This method worked well for me, and was easier that some other methods suggested.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/techti...=107&TopicID=3
-Roy
https://www.corvetteforum.com/techti...=107&TopicID=3
-Roy
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,844
Likes: 99
From: Orrtanna Pa.
The gears are helix ground,so the alignment you see will be 10-15 degrees off.In otherwords,back the rotor up 10-15 degrees prior to dropping it in. Once the teeth of the gears engage,the rotor will swing into the correct alignment with the oil pump shaft.
If that doesn't work,check to see if the gear you replaced is put on in the right direction. If it's upsidedown it'll never mesh.
If that doesn't work,check to see if the gear you replaced is put on in the right direction. If it's upsidedown it'll never mesh.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 3,128
Likes: 3
From: Deltona (son of Deland and DAYTONA) FL
One whole inch DOES seem to be an awful lot for just the oil pump shaft to not be engaging with the distuributor.
I've done this fight before and it seemed the oil pump shaft only held my distributor up by 1/4 inch.
Could that shaft be out on the oil pump end as well? How does it connect to the pump?
I've done this fight before and it seemed the oil pump shaft only held my distributor up by 1/4 inch.
Could that shaft be out on the oil pump end as well? How does it connect to the pump?