BUMP it 
[1980] Distributor won't mate to intake.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 12,399
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From: San Jose CA
[1980] Distributor won't mate to intake.
I put the intake in and it seems to fall into place, but will not seat against the intake manifold. There's about a 1/4"-3/8" gap between the intake and distributor bottom... doesn't seem to be anything above that's holding it in. I can feel it seat and the rotor shaft no longer spins.
Got any ideas?
-Steve
Got any ideas?
-Steve
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Kirkland Wa
Sure, did you remember that the dristributor drives the oil pump? If not, this is the answer and simple to fix. Just use a long screw driver to slightly rotate the oil pump untill the distributor can dropsin all the way, i.e, notch in the pump is lined up correctly with the end of the distributor shaft.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,445
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
Steve - kind of like the other poster said. The dist. has hellical cut gears. So the shaft rotates down in.
So you put #1 cylinder on TDC and check your damper for "Zero" + or -10 degrees. Look under your dist gear and see where the slot resides with your rotor pointing to where #1 plug wire goes. Then take a long screw driver and turn the oil pump shaft into alignment.
When you stab the dist in start it about 360/8 = 45 degrees CCW and it will rotate on it's way down right in.
You wiggle the rotor to make it drop or even just bump the starter key and it will fall into place. Or if you have a 1/2 inch drive bar on the crank damper nut - Just move the crank back and forth and it will drop in.
First time starts every time
Fire it up and if your timing is off 20 degrees your ONE tooth off and stab it again
So you put #1 cylinder on TDC and check your damper for "Zero" + or -10 degrees. Look under your dist gear and see where the slot resides with your rotor pointing to where #1 plug wire goes. Then take a long screw driver and turn the oil pump shaft into alignment.
When you stab the dist in start it about 360/8 = 45 degrees CCW and it will rotate on it's way down right in.
You wiggle the rotor to make it drop or even just bump the starter key and it will fall into place. Or if you have a 1/2 inch drive bar on the crank damper nut - Just move the crank back and forth and it will drop in.
First time starts every time
Fire it up and if your timing is off 20 degrees your ONE tooth off and stab it again
Last edited by gkull; Oct 13, 2004 at 10:53 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 10,362
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From: San Diego - Deep Within The State of CONFUSION!
Originally Posted by Bake's
Sure, did you remember that the dristributor drives the oil pump? If not, this is the answer and simple to fix. Just use a long screw driver to slightly rotate the oil pump untill the distributor can dropsin all the way, i.e, notch in the pump is lined up correctly with the end of the distributor shaft.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 11,322
Likes: 1
From: Living in the Hartland
Originally Posted by SanDiegoPaul
Leave the dist where it is and bump the starter, or crank the harmonic balancer bolt a bit, til it drops in.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Kirkland Wa
Sounds a little scary to bump the starter not knowing for certain if the distributor gears are meshed. But likely you guys have much more experience with this than me.
Couple of thoughts: rather than a long screw driver, I actually use the tool for oil priming the engine and rotate the oil pump by hand until it will allign. This tool (sure there must be some proper name for it) works great, and helps to make a mark on it to determine how much the oil pump is being rotated.
If the rotor wasn't marked when removing the distributor, and you need to go back and line it up with #1 cylinder at TDC during compression stroke, old distributor caps work great. Just cut out a window under the #1 pole to visually locate when the the rotor is correctly positioned while hand rotating the engine.
Couple of thoughts: rather than a long screw driver, I actually use the tool for oil priming the engine and rotate the oil pump by hand until it will allign. This tool (sure there must be some proper name for it) works great, and helps to make a mark on it to determine how much the oil pump is being rotated.
If the rotor wasn't marked when removing the distributor, and you need to go back and line it up with #1 cylinder at TDC during compression stroke, old distributor caps work great. Just cut out a window under the #1 pole to visually locate when the the rotor is correctly positioned while hand rotating the engine.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 11,322
Likes: 1
From: Living in the Hartland
Originally Posted by Bake's
Sounds a little scary to bump the starter not knowing for certain if the distributor gears are meshed. But likely you guys have much more experience with this than me.
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Race Director
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From: Kansas City, MO ...I'd like to go fishing and catch a fishstick. That'd be convenient. - Mitch Hedberg
Sure am glad I remembered this thread. I just experienced the exact same problem. Used the screwdriver to line up the oil pump with the distributor.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,503
Likes: 1,511
From: Little Rock AR
Originally Posted by Bake's
If the rotor wasn't marked when removing the distributor, and you need to go back and line it up with #1 cylinder at TDC during compression stroke, old distributor caps work great. Just cut out a window under the #1 pole to visually locate when the the rotor is correctly positioned while hand rotating the engine.
-Mark.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 7,720
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From: Chattanooga TN
If you bump it, you never know where it is going to drop down. Much better to turn the oil pump shaft with a screwdriver, priming tool, flattened pushrod or something. Then you know it is still at TDC and you know where the rotor should be pointing.
