I can't get the oil pump drive shaft to line up. :mad: I've tried every combination I can think of short of dropping the oil pan.

A feasible thought I've had is to very lightly grind down the bottom of the gear on the distributor so that it will promote the drive shaft sliding into place.

Any and all help is greatly appreciated, this is the last step before I have a running motor, it still won't be drivable, but for gods sakes, at least it will be running. FWIW, I've already primed the oil pump.

 

Fun isn't it. Actually it is not that hard. The slot in the drive lines up with the rotor. You should know where the rotor needs to point, and you should know that the distribuor shaft has to rotate to drop down, as the drive gear is not a straight cut gear. All that said, do this:

Put the distributor in, ignoring the oil pump drive. Determine where the rotor has to point and twist the distributor drive counter clock-wise a few teeth from there and let it drop down. The rotor should point about halfway between where you started and where it should finally be. If you are indeed there, lift it back up to where it just meshes with the drive gear, and note the llocation of the rotor. Remove the distributor. The slot in the oil pump drive shaft should point the exact same direction as the rotor, with one minor exception, it should be turned clockwise just a little. Put the distributor back, with the rotor located where you just removed it. It should then slide right in.

If this does not work for you, do the alignment to get the rotor in the corrrect place, and rotate the crankshaft back and forth, while you gently push down on the distributor. It will then line up and drop down.

Tom Melton
82 CE
86 Z51 Coupe


[Modified by tommelton, 8:21 AM 9/2/2001]


[Modified by tommelton, 8:23 AM 9/2/2001]

 

Thanks for the reply, I've tried this and still no luck.

My problem lies in that the drive shaft shank is an exact fit into the inside of the cam mess gear and the drive shaft isn't quite straight up and down. I can move it to straight up and down but it won't stay there. I've tried leveling the car so that the drive shaft will stay closer to straight up and down.

 

TTT

 

Not sure if I understand what your total problems with the oil pump shaft is. But you should be able to take a long screw driver or a shaft out of an old distributor and turn the oil pump shaft until it lines up with where the distribotor shaft needs to be to be in time and to line up so that you can drop the distributor down. If it is leaning somewhat, you might put a small dab of grease on it to help hold it in place.