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I'm putting the top half of the engine back together after a clean-up and run into an issue I'm hoping someone can solve. I haven't cranked the engine since removing the distributor but for some reason it won't go back in the same spot that I marked. The second picture is the only position that I can get it to drop all the way in. I've tried moving back (counter clockwise) tooth by tooth but it will only drop in this spot. Otherwise it sticks up about 1/4 of an inch. I'm not really sure what to do here.
This was before I removed it.
This is putting it back in.
Last edited by mijohnst; Apr 20, 2015 at 03:43 PM.
It's the oil pump drive slot. Email Lars at v8fastcars@msn.com and ask for his papers on installing the distributor. They take all the pain away from initial starts-ups.
You need a long screwdriver and a flashlight. Basically, the oil pump drive has shifted slightly.
See how the teeth of the distirbutor gear curve? As the distributor drops into the shaft, it causes the rotor to rotate. You need to line the drive shaft of the oil pump up so that it matches the starting point of where the distributor goes in - I think.
I've done this maybe 10 times, and basically remember the magic recipe each time.
Some people on here prefer to bump the starter while dropping the distributor. Many of the people who advocate that method are certainly people I'd trust, but I'm personally not comfortable with the method so I just go for long screwdriver. I have a craftsman professional screwdriver, 5/16 blade with like a 18" shaft that I use pretty much only for this.
It is pretty easy to hold it down and just crank it until it drops into place. You can rotate it back to TDC, use 2 revolutions if you want to get back to firing the #1 cylinder.
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Distributor Alignment help
Thanks guys!
