Distributor won't drop.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 35,065
Likes: 0
From: Bergen County, NJ Democrats, doing for the country what they did for Michigan
Distributor won't drop.
So I got the intake manifold on, easy enough.
I go to put the distributor down and it won't seat all the way down.
I think I know the answer, but I wanted to hear your thoughts.
It's about 1/4 inch off the manifold.
Thanks.
I go to put the distributor down and it won't seat all the way down.
I think I know the answer, but I wanted to hear your thoughts.
It's about 1/4 inch off the manifold.
Thanks.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 24,337
Likes: 25
From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
It's not engaging the pin on the oil pump drive. Notice the cam gear teeth cause it to rotate clockwise as you drop it in. So try turning the oil pump drive slightly clockwise with a long screwdriver (about one tooth worth) and then try dropping it in again.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 35,065
Likes: 0
From: Bergen County, NJ Democrats, doing for the country what they did for Michigan
Where do I turn the oil pump? I have to take the intake off? Please say no...
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,171
Likes: 1
From: Warwick RI
Just pull it out a little, turn the rotor and let it drop. Keep that up until it sits down. If you are at TDC then that is where #1 will be and run your wires from there.
Old school but it works
Old school but it works
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 11,772
Likes: 177
From: Rolla Missouri
2021 C4 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist
St. Jude Donor '10 thru '25
By that he means pull the distributor up just a little, and try again. You might have to turn the rotor slightly to a different position (just enough to allow the oil pump drive to engage).
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,991
Likes: 5
From: The Pines South Jersey
turn the flywheel, it will drop down on the rotation and not interrupt where you set it
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 35,065
Likes: 0
From: Bergen County, NJ Democrats, doing for the country what they did for Michigan
Team Owner
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 24,337
Likes: 25
From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
No, just stick a long screwdriver in there through the hole. I was trying to avoid gettting the distributor in a tooth off. If you do, you have to turn the distributor a bunch to get your timing right, and there's not much room on these to rotate the distributor that much.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 20,905
Likes: 962
From: I tend to be leery of any guy who doesn't own a chainsaw or a handgun.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 35,065
Likes: 0
From: Bergen County, NJ Democrats, doing for the country what they did for Michigan
Team Owner
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 24,337
Likes: 25
From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
Quick question, if you accidentally put the distributor in 180* off, can you simply remove the rotor and install it backwards? I recall the plate it screws to allows you to install it either way.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 35,065
Likes: 0
From: Bergen County, NJ Democrats, doing for the country what they did for Michigan
I had the timing marks at 12:00 and 6:00, and lined up to cyl 1. I'm good to go.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,858
Likes: 7
From: Santa Maria CA
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,624
Likes: 2
From: Canandaigua New York
You need to just take a dremel and notch the other side.
But if you're going to go through all that hassle, why not just remove the distributer bolt, pull it up and point it in the right direction?
Wouldn't take anymore time to do then messing with the rotor.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,594
Likes: 0
From: CALGARY ab
No, just stick a long screwdriver in there through the hole. I was trying to avoid gettting the distributor in a tooth off. If you do, you have to turn the distributor a bunch to get your timing right, and there's not much room on these to rotate the distributor that much.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,775
Likes: 125
From: Birmingham AL
Never do this. I learned the hard way once. It may work if you are lucky, but I did this and sheared the teeth off of the cam. That was a few years ago and I definitely learned an expensive lesson.