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Distributor endplay thrust washer

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Old Oct 15, 2019 | 10:05 PM
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Default Distributor endplay thrust washer

Just getting ready to put my distributor back together, and have a question about the factory thrust washer(s) between the housing and the drive gear. There's a notch on the bottom of the housing which makes me think two things: 1) There should be a tanged/tab captured-washer that goes there (rather than the normal looking washers that were there), and 2) if so, then in my teenage stupidity I lost that special washer when I had the distributor apart, way back when. The spare aluminum distributors I have gathering dust all have special tang equipped washers between the body and the gear (and they're all too thick to use on my cast iron distributor). So, my question is, was there a special washer that fit the old cast iron tach drive distributors?

Thanks for any help/clarification.
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Old Oct 15, 2019 | 10:13 PM
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Originally Posted by 69427
Just getting ready to put my distributor back together, and have a question about the factory thrust washer(s) between the housing and the drive gear. There's a notch on the bottom of the housing which makes me think two things: 1) There should be a tanged/tab captured-washer that goes there (rather than the normal looking washers that were there), and 2) if so, then in my teenage stupidity I lost that special washer when I had the distributor apart, way back when. The spare aluminum distributors I have gathering dust all have special tang equipped washers between the body and the gear (and they're all too thick to use on my cast iron distributor). So, my question is, was there a special washer that fit the old cast iron tach drive distributors?

Thanks for any help/clarification.
Nope. Started with alum units.
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Old Oct 16, 2019 | 01:15 PM
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Originally Posted by Big2Bird
Nope. Started with alum units.
Thanks, man. So if I apparently didn't lose any "special washer" piece, perhaps I was only 99%, instead of 100% of the screw-up I recalled being in my youth.

So, is the cutout on the bottom of the housing for an oil entrance to lube the washers? Or something else?
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Old Oct 16, 2019 | 02:44 PM
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Originally Posted by 69427
Thanks, man. So if I apparently didn't lose any "special washer" piece, perhaps I was only 99%, instead of 100% of the screw-up I recalled being in my youth.

So, is the cutout on the bottom of the housing for an oil entrance to lube the washers? Or something else?
I do not know. I will try to find out. Perhaps Lars knows.
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Old Oct 19, 2019 | 05:32 PM
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Just make sure that the end play is within spec... .010 I believe, if not the distributor shaft will walk up and twist itself out of the gear changing timing.
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