Help, distributor install when block is decked+aftermarket heads??
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Help, distributor install when block is decked+aftermarket heads??
I am about to make the first start of my renovated engine but I have some concerns about my HEI distributor: I have decked the (L98) block to 9.005 deck height and switched to AFR 210 Eliminator heads. I´ve had some trouble aligning the ports of the intake and the heads (ended up epoxying the floor of the intake ports) and I suspect the contact surface between the distributor and the intake has moved vertically (not clear in what direction though...). Is there a way to check if the position of the distributor is correct (vs the oil pump drive pin and the cam gear). I can imagine a lot of problems if the distributor has moved to much... The engine is in the car with the oil pan on. If it is of any importance, the intake is an Edelbrock TPI high flow baseplate, the drive pin from ARP and the oilpump a Melling M55a.
#5
i forgot my shaft when i put the oil pump in and put the pan on....duhhhhhhhhhhh. you only forget once! just like forgetting to put the plug in after you launch your boat, just once!
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corvette1989bham: The rod retainer is integrated in the pin to my understanding.
The engine builder (not the same as mine) put a big block drive pin in a friend of mines sbc, not much play at all...Took him almost a year to find out why his ignition was not working as it should
Anyone know the factory recommendations regarding play in a sbc (drive pin-distributor)?
Maybe just use a marker pen on the distributor gear tooths to check the gear mesh pattern?
Last edited by bogor; 09-15-2007 at 07:21 PM.
#7
checking gear mesh would be good, mine was decked .015 i haven't tried to put the dist in, (figured i would put it in after i installed the eng/tranny because i didnt want to break it, but........I think ill go have a look and set mine and see how it all lines up, i have the ARP shaft also. better find out now before i put it in i guess..
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Originally Posted by bogor
I am about to make the first start of my renovated engine but I have some concerns about my HEI distributor: I have decked the (L98) block to 9.005 deck height and switched to AFR 210 Eliminator heads. I´ve had some trouble aligning the ports of the intake and the heads (ended up epoxying the floor of the intake ports) and I suspect the contact surface between the distributor and the intake has moved vertically (not clear in what direction though...)..
It sounds as though neither the intake sides of your heads nor the intake manifold have been milled. If so, even though the manifold sits high in relation to the ports, it is still where it used to be, in relation to the block. That means that you should not have an issue with the distributor. If you have any doubt, drop the distributor in, with out a gasket. If the distributor housing flange bottoms on the intake manifold, then everything is OK with the dist. Neither the cam gear nor the distributor gear are tapered. It doesn't matter how high or low the distributor sits, within reason, as long as the clamp bolt isn't forcing the bottom of the distributor gear against the oil pump drive shaft. Did you follow all that?
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Last time I checked epoxying the floors of an intake means it's sitting lower than the heads. Sounds like AFR has raised the runners on the Eliminator heads.
On the distributor, drop it in without a gasket and make sure the collar bottoms on the manifold. The distributor should sit up ~.030" from being bottomed. That ~.030" is the gasket thickness. If the distributor doesn't bottom on the manifold you'll need a shim like Twisted above mentioned, the thickness that the collar is sitting above the intake, plus the gasket.
From what's being described I doubt there's going to be a distributor height problem but it never hurts to check.
On the distributor, drop it in without a gasket and make sure the collar bottoms on the manifold. The distributor should sit up ~.030" from being bottomed. That ~.030" is the gasket thickness. If the distributor doesn't bottom on the manifold you'll need a shim like Twisted above mentioned, the thickness that the collar is sitting above the intake, plus the gasket.
From what's being described I doubt there's going to be a distributor height problem but it never hurts to check.
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Thanks for the input everyone! I did a quick check and it looks like the distributor is not sitting flat on the intake surface. This activity have previously been associated with a lot of cursing and testing of my patience (lack of) so I will do a more thorough investigation later this week.
Last edited by bogor; 09-16-2007 at 01:33 PM.