WESCH

Hi
Just received the new shaft from TLD Vette with some small parts ( bushing, shims )
The pic shows the old versus the new shaft.
The old shaft was very worn at the lower bushing near the oil pump drive.
You might make out the scrape marks on the shaft.
I will also try to modify the housing in order to get pressurized oil spayed onto the drive gears. ( ref previous post ).
I also heard about some distributors being modified with a set screw to set the tach drive gear. I think that opposite of the tach drive gear, a hole should be drilled and tapped etc.
How exactly should this be done ?
Thanks Gunther

Alwyn678

I am not sure on your question but TLD does have the best prices on distribuor parts

WESCH

Hi
OK, I try again.
The tach drive gear in my distributor was able to walk around, in and out about .20 inch or so.
Is that OK or should it be shimmed ? I saw some tach ditributors, which had a adjustment screw opposite of the tach drive gear . This screw pushed against the tach drive gear . ( not the distributor shaft, but the small gear that runs perpendicular to it ).
Any ideas ?
Gunther

lars

Wesch -
I don't like to drill and tap the distributor housing for the screw setup because it punches a non-stock hole in the housing, and the set screw produces a point load on the tach drive cross gear which tends to chew up the end of the gear. This, then, results in the gear seizing and stripping out the mainshaft drive gear.

Most distributors have a small pilot hole for a roll pin on the cross gear thrust button. Some distributors do not have a hole. Either way, I bore a shallow-depth 1/8" diameter hole on the inside of the housing in the thrust button area, but I don't go through the housing. I then fabricate a 3/8" diameter thrust button with a 1/8" guide nipple on it to slip into the distributor housing. I custom-make the thickness of the button based on the amount of cross gear slop that I need to take up. I make the button out of a grade 5 bolt that I chuck up in a lathe and turn to size. This works really well, and produces a lasting repair that looks stock from the outside.

RMS73

On my 73 the distributor had a small plastic thrust button that the cross shaft ran against. There was a small hole through the distributor for the plastic button to be secured to. When I replaced the cross shaft I pushed out the plastic button and made and installed a bronze button. The button was made from a bronze rod. Since I have no lathe I chucked the rod in my drill press and cut it down to size with several different coarseness files. Several vendors sell a bronze bushing for this use.
Roger

WESCH

Thanks a lot.

Good idea to only drill on the inside without produding through the casting.
Presently, there is only a very shallow pilot hole, about 1 mm deep.
No plastic or bronze thrust plate of any kind.
Thats why the cross drive gear can walk so much ?
Just wondering if this has been fideld with already ?
I will try to install a bronze thrust plate by using Lars's method.
Lars, it's a pitty that your not around in Europe to get my ignition and carb set up correctly.
If you ever do one of this " see Europe in a week " tours ( :lol: ), make sure to stop by in Luxembourg , where the best bear is brewed.
Yes, that's not a joke, we even beat the Germans in purety of the brewing process.
Thanks a lot , I'm sure I get this distributor to run one of those days.
Gunther
:seeya

lars

Gunther -
If you have trouble with it, send it out to me and I'll go through it for you and fabricate the bushing. Mark it as a "gift" and declare a $20 value on it, and it will go through customs with no problem...

If your housing has a small dimple on the inside, you can use this dimple to locate and secure your thrust button.

I have not had good luck with bronze thrust buttons- I was using bronze when I first started rebuilding distributors, and I had several distributors come back with the bronze thrust button completely chewed up. I now use steel thrust buttons, and I pack the end of the cross gear with high temperature wheel bearing grease when assembling it. I have not had a failure of a steel button.

I'll be sure to take you up on your offer on the beer next time I'm in Europe... and I don't do the "see Europe in 10 days" tours... :lol:

WESCH

Thanks Lars

I will attack this distributor soon and if I spoil it, I will come back to your generous offer and send it over.

I agree, 10 day tours will not do. :lol:
Brgs Gunther