Hotrodp38

Car is driving me nuts I can not get the distributor to mate with the oil shaft .

AlkyIROC

Use a flat blade screwdriver and turn the pump drive slightly.

Hotrodp38

Any tricks I am missing here? Ive always used the screwdriver method but she just wont have any of it

Hotrodp38

Just saw your post alkyiroc I have her lined up it just wont budge sits about half an inch or more off the intake

redneckjoe

try moving the rotor clockwise 1 tooth at a time and drop it in, even though it might be in the wrong posistion. then keep pulling it up and moving it 1 tooth and re-install over and over til you get the rotor where you want it.

Hotrodp38

Ill give that a shot now thanks

AlkyIROC

The pump drive is lined up with the rotor. When you drop the distributor in, you want the rotor pointing roughly at the 5 o'clock position. Move the pump drive so it's also in the same position.

Is the pump drive sitting down properly on the oil pump? Use a long screwdriver and put it in the pump drive slot and mark the screwdriver on the top of the manifold. Transfer that length to the distributor. The distributor shouldn't bottom out on the pump drive slot but also shouldn't be high in the slot either.

Hotrodp38

Fed up with it for tonight I will check that out tomorrow afterworl . Ive never had a distributor give me so much bull **** in my life .

Hotrodp38

Thats my thought it appears to be sitting on the shaft but it just wont take. Ive bumped the starter a million times cranked it by hand etc. Just wont take it

AlkyIROC

Bumping the start won't do anything. The camshaft turns the distributor. The distributor turns the oil pump drive.

Gumby

Is the cap off it while doing it? They tend to turn a bit as you try n drop it. so if you set it to align right as it goes in, its now off by time it reach bottom. gotta see how much it moves on its own. then set the thing out of align by that much, so its aligned once in. ive spent more time then id admit trying to get one in and im taking the super easy front mounted Buick Dizzy.

zed-028

drop it in the right position so that at least the teeth begin to mate, have a friend apply slight pressure downwards on top of the rotor, go to the front of the car and turn it over by hand slowly, at some point it in its revolution it will drop down.

you will need that little bit of downward pressure for it to drop down.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Hope you put the motor back to tdc b4 you drop that in.

RBob

iTrader: (1)

Any chance the distributor is from a whale bodied Caprice? They have a larger diameter base where it seats into the intake manifold.

RBob.

Hotrodp38

Sorry for the late reply guys been stuck at work havent had time to play with her . TTop350 shes on timethis im sure of. Gonna try it again today provided i do not get rained on its getting chilly up here

Hotrodp38

Rob its the original distributor body I just pulled a part or two off a junkyard one.

Larry

I installed the gear upside down once and had the same problem. Don't tell anyone I said that. What I meant to say was I know a guy that did that once.

Hotrodp38

Ah those know a guy guys lol. Well after some tinkering and ******* measurements Im 99% sure the gear is just sitting ontop of the oil shaft. I even pulled the pin out and removed the gear so i could check its alignment its spot on too my markings when mated to its shaft so my question is how the hell do I get it to sit on the dam shaft ?

zed-028

the oil pump key (bit down in the hole) didnt pop out at all when you pulled the old distributor did it? is there a chance that the key in the bottom isnt properly mated itself, sitting slightly above where it should and therefore the distributor sits on top of it still protruding out?

Hotrodp38

I got her in took some fussing and flipping over the gear goes to show what lack of sleep will do too you . Ill set the timing tm its 30 something degrees up Here in RI lol thanks for the help guys

zed-028

HOORAY! - glad you got it sorted