My distributor won't drop in.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2002
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From: No Where USA
My distributor won't drop in.
I am getting ready to start up my new 355 . I primed it today and got plenty of oil pressure oil came right up to the rockers. The motor has a Performer RPM hydraulic roller cam in it. I am using an Accel hei distributor I had in the 350 that was in the car and it fit fine.
I went to put the distributor in and it goes in but sticks up about 1 inch and will not go in. It seems to engage the cam gear because it won't spin but will not go in. And yes I checked the oil pump rod and spun it so it would go in the groove.
The priming tool I use is an old distributor and that goes right in. I also put some grease on the end of the dist gear to see if it hit the oil pump shaft and it didn't.
Another question, the oil shaft moves around in the hole where it comes up from the pump, is that normal.
I went to put the distributor in and it goes in but sticks up about 1 inch and will not go in. It seems to engage the cam gear because it won't spin but will not go in. And yes I checked the oil pump rod and spun it so it would go in the groove.
The priming tool I use is an old distributor and that goes right in. I also put some grease on the end of the dist gear to see if it hit the oil pump shaft and it didn't.
Another question, the oil shaft moves around in the hole where it comes up from the pump, is that normal.
Last edited by 540 vette; Oct 11, 2012 at 07:04 PM.
Instructor
Joined: May 2011
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From: Orange Ca
This is normal when the dizzy is not engaged. Now I'm "dizzy"...
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2002
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From: No Where USA
Distributor has 2 miles on it. No chips or anything. The shaft is leaning to one side and isn't centered so the shaft dosen't go into the gear. It dosen't matter if it's lined up the dist won't slide over the shaft.
Instructor
Joined: May 2011
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From: Orange Ca
The shaft will always lean to one side before the distributor is dropped in. Assuming the motor is at TDC and the rotor on the distributor facing towards the number 5 cylinder (Chevy) "approximately" you should be able to put light pressure on the distributor and have someone bump then engine over to align the slot in the distributor gear and the oil pump shaft.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Gladstone MO
C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
The bottom of the distributor gear is tapered so it will lead the oil pump shaft into it. If the pump shaft is too far off to the side, there may be a problem with the collar on the shaft at the pump. THe lower shaft will be a little off center, but not laying on one side or the other- it should be pretty well centered in the hole.
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Melting Slicks
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From: Thunder Bay
I've had the same problem a couple of times. It usually turns out I haven't had the slot in the end of the pump drive shaft lined up correctly. With enough fooling around I eventually get it. If the engine is in the car and the starter bolted up bumping it over works too. I don't like to do this because I then have to set the engine up to top dead center again to static time it, but it works.
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Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2002
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From: No Where USA
I got the distributor in. The shaft was sloppy in the hole and was not centered and yes I used a steel bushing. I jacked up one side of the car and that centered the shaft and the distributor went in with a little jiggle.
Thread Starter
Race Director
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From: No Where USA
I couyld have bumped it for a year and it would not have gone in because the shaft wasn't in the bottom of the dist. The keyway was in the right spot but the shaft was off to one side.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: Seattle WA
St. Jude Donor '14
The intermediate shaft isn't a precision fit by any means, but I've never had one I couldn't drop by bumping it - hard to imagine the hole could be THAT out of round.
But the important thing is that it's in
But the important thing is that it's in