Distributor Gear Trashed - Advice needed
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 222
Likes: 0
Check the run out on the gear before you put the distributor in. I ran into 2 distributors with bent shafts. Also if you had a good back fire this can cause the shaft to bend.
I'm running high volume with my 383 and haven't had any problems since I found the bent shaft. Also did the oil mod to the new distributor.
I'm running high volume with my 383 and haven't had any problems since I found the bent shaft. Also did the oil mod to the new distributor.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,735
Likes: 412
From: WV
Mike, you have to make sure the distributor isn't bottoming out and jamming the gear under pressure into the cam gear... You have to remove the gasket that goes under the distributor, insert the distributor into the motor and clamp it down..Then pull up on the shaft of the distributor to make sure you have some up and down movement in the shaft.. If you can move the shaft up and down, then the gear has room to move and won't be binding...If the shaft won't move up and down then you have to shim the distributor up off the manifold by using a spacer between the distributor and the manifold. They sell kits at most auto stores for this purpose...They also make kits to shim the distributor end play, but as long as you have at least .015 to .020 end play between the gear and the base of the distributor, your fine......WW
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,094
Likes: 68
From: Providence RI
I took a glance at the old distributor to see if the shaft was bent. I did not mic it out or put it on a dial indicator.
The distributor is another rebuilt one and i also looked at that one, but again, no machinst techniques were used to verify it was 100% true.
I did make sure that the distributor was not bottoming out on the oil pump. I bought shims just incase they were needed when i ordered all of my parts. When it was installed without the gasket and bolted down, there was up and down movement at the rotor.
I took the car on a 100 mile drive yesterday and it ran great. No issues at all. I changed the filter before the drive and topped off of the oil. I'm going to run another 100 or so miles and do another oil change...those shards on the magnetic drain plug makes me want to be safe rather than sorry.
I think that there was not any long term damage from the gear exploding, which is a good thing.
Thanks for all of your help.
Mike
The distributor is another rebuilt one and i also looked at that one, but again, no machinst techniques were used to verify it was 100% true.
I did make sure that the distributor was not bottoming out on the oil pump. I bought shims just incase they were needed when i ordered all of my parts. When it was installed without the gasket and bolted down, there was up and down movement at the rotor.
I took the car on a 100 mile drive yesterday and it ran great. No issues at all. I changed the filter before the drive and topped off of the oil. I'm going to run another 100 or so miles and do another oil change...those shards on the magnetic drain plug makes me want to be safe rather than sorry.
I think that there was not any long term damage from the gear exploding, which is a good thing.
Thanks for all of your help.
Mike
