ok heres the deal.. i had to take my distributor out to put in a new pulse coil on my 89 formula 5.0 TPI... that went fine.. but now it will NOT go back in no matter waht i do! i marked it and everything before i took it off and it will not go back in! the problem is it wouldnt line back up with the oil pump shaft even though i turned it every which way, etc (goes in but sits about a half inch above intake manifold). So i got pissed off and set the motor back to TDC to see if i could get it to go in. Still no luck. The keeper is still on the oil pump shaft since it isnt flopping around and ive got it lined up correctly (pointed at #1 plug) but the distributor is just being a *****! If anyone has any ideas on how to get it back in that would be swell cuz im ready to push the car off a cliff. I've also had my friend who is a GM tech try to get it in and hes baffled as well. any suggestions?

 

it happens, just keep trying and sooner or later it'll fall right in like nothing was ever wrong, just make sure the slot in the oil pump drive shaft is lined up, turn it with a screw driver if you have to

 

Believe me when I say I know what your talking about. Putting the Dis. back in is my most dreaded job-I'm not one of the "lucky" guys that have it fall back in place either-but it will go eventually. I dropped in my new 355, 3 guys and 45 min later distributor finally fell into place where she neede to go.

 

Make sure there are no nicks or burrs on the end of the distributor shaft that would hold it off, because of production tolerances some will fit tighter than others will and be a pita to put back in, get your #1 piston at TDC on the compression stroke and the rotor pointing at #1 spark tower and try rocking the distributor in a rolling around pattern and twisting the rotor back and forth at the same time and I think you will get it in.

 

If you hadn't turned the motor back to TDC it would have been simple.You could have just bumped the starter and it would have gone in. Your GM Tech friend should have known that.Now you will have to start from scratch to get everything lined up.Even then it may not go all the way down.If this happens, and you have everything lined up where it should be, then just bump the starter with the key.It may take a couple bumps but it will go down once the oil pump shaft lines up with the distributor shaft.