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Distributor won't go in....

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Old Feb 2, 2005 | 11:14 PM
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Default Distributor won't go in....

Everything on the car is hooked up and ready to go... I actually already lined up the timing mark with approx. 0 degrees and got ready to drop in the distributor.. I've done this several times on my old engine and never had any issues...
This time, the distributor just wouldn't go in.. I made sure that the oil pump drive was lined up in the same angle as the counterpart on the distributor... I tried it for over an hour and finally gave up for tonight.. I also tried spraying the gear on the distributor and the gear on the camshaft with WD40 but it didn't help..

Any ideas how I can make it go in??
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Old Feb 2, 2005 | 11:15 PM
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From: eville in
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and you have bumped the starter ????
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Old Feb 2, 2005 | 11:16 PM
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Originally Posted by comp
and you have bumped the starter ????
Bump it...the slots are not lined up
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Old Feb 2, 2005 | 11:18 PM
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Originally Posted by comp
and you have bumped the starter ????
I bumped the starter to line up the zero timing mark.. How else would I be able to line up Cyl. 1??
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Old Feb 2, 2005 | 11:20 PM
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Originally Posted by GDaina
Bump it...the slots are not lined up
It was a pain getting the balancer centered on zero degrees. If I'd bump the starter I'd have to play around with it to line it up again... Don't know of any other way to linke up the distributor correclty...
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Old Feb 2, 2005 | 11:23 PM
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just bump it and the distributor will drop in when the slots line up...put the car in gear and just bump it, you can keep bumping till the timing marks line up to verify the rotor is at #1 plug. If you lined up the rotor correctly, the distributor will fall into place and the rotor will be lined up to #1 plug

Last edited by GDaina; Feb 2, 2005 at 11:26 PM.
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Old Feb 2, 2005 | 11:25 PM
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From: eville in
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how far up is it
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Old Feb 2, 2005 | 11:26 PM
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Originally Posted by GDaina
just bump it and the distributor will drop in when the slots line up...put the car in gear and just bump it, you can keep bumping till the timing marks line up to verify the rotor is at #1 plug
Isn't there a risk that the gear on the cam or distributor could get f'd up that way??
The high torque starter turns pretty fast...
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Old Feb 2, 2005 | 11:27 PM
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Originally Posted by comp
how far up is it
about an inch to go...

I wonder why I never had any issues with my old engine?? It would always drop right in..
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Old Feb 2, 2005 | 11:28 PM
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Originally Posted by GrandSportC3
about an inch to go...
bump it it's in the teeth
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Old Feb 2, 2005 | 11:30 PM
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From: In Dreams There Is Truth Ohio
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Originally Posted by GrandSportC3
Isn't there a risk that the gear on the cam or distributor could get f'd up that way??
The high torque starter turns pretty fast...
The gears have meshed, just the slots are not in line Not anymore than the gears getting messed up when the distributor is seated fully

Last edited by GDaina; Feb 2, 2005 at 11:33 PM.
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Old Feb 2, 2005 | 11:34 PM
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We had a thread about this earlier in the week...exactly the same thing..
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Old Feb 2, 2005 | 11:45 PM
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I never knew (until that previous thread) that you could do that. I'd get the teeth lined up with #1, but same thing, the oil pump shaft would hold it up.


Good advice!
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Old Feb 2, 2005 | 11:56 PM
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go in ??????
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Old Feb 3, 2005 | 12:04 AM
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Originally Posted by isosceles
I never knew (until that previous thread) that you could do that. I'd get the teeth lined up with #1, but same thing, the oil pump shaft would hold it up.


Good advice!
I made sure that the oil pump shaft would line up with the distributor... Don't think that this is the problem...
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Old Feb 3, 2005 | 12:13 AM
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Is the oil pump shaft slot maybe too narrow or small for the distributor gear to "engage" into???

I'd never "bump" the motor to do this. Oliver, you should be able to "feel" the teeth engage, then "ratchet" the rotor backwards a few degrees. You have to remember, even though it appears you have the oil pump shaft lined up, the distributor turns or rotates clockwise as it gets "dropped" in. This is when it will go farther than you think and will overshoot the position of the shaft of the oil pump.
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Old Feb 3, 2005 | 12:51 AM
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From: In Dreams There Is Truth Ohio
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oliver, you may think you have the slots lined up..but if they are off even 5 degrees, the distributor won't drop....
Another point...if the distributor is longer than the stock unit, then you should have been supplied with an oil pump shaft to compensate for the length...did you get a shaft with the distributor?
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Old Feb 3, 2005 | 07:44 AM
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It's the same distributor that I used on the old engine. The only thing that changed is the .491 Bronze Gear...
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Old Feb 3, 2005 | 07:47 AM
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I never had any issues like this before. I was always able to line up the oil pump slot and the distributor would always drop right in...
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Old Feb 3, 2005 | 07:54 AM
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Originally Posted by GrandSportC3
Everything on the car is hooked up and ready to go... I actually already lined up the timing mark with approx. 0 degrees and got ready to drop in the distributor.. I've done this several times on my old engine and never had any issues...
This time, the distributor just wouldn't go in.. I made sure that the oil pump drive was lined up in the same angle as the counterpart on the distributor... I tried it for over an hour and finally gave up for tonight.. I also tried spraying the gear on the distributor and the gear on the camshaft with WD40 but it didn't help..

Any ideas how I can make it go in??
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.
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