pretty self explanatory, but i don't believe the issue is "notch" alignment - seems the oil pump shaft has so much slop in it that it won't stay in place for the distributor to engage it - more or less off center. with all that said, the dist was in and ready to set timing, but since i apparently had a bad pick-up coil... you get the picture... IF i can get it back in, then hopefully i can press on with initial start-up after the top-end rebuild i just did. i would really like to turn the key on it tomorrow since it didn't happen for me tonight. any suggestions???

 

They're a little floppy down there, but generall the distributor gear (which has a beveled inside edge) will grab it and center it up on it's own.

Remember that the distributor gear will turn CW about 30* or so from first tooth engagement to fully seated. It grabs the oil pump shaft near the top of that engagement. So you have to start it a bit CCW from where you want it to finally line up in order for it to engage with the distributor gear as you drop it home.

 

The pump shaft is attached to the pump and is put in from the bottom. The hole it goes through is enough to keep it in position for the distributor to be installed.

Bar the engine over until #1 cylinder is at TDC. With the cap off and the rotor pointed roughly where the #1 plug will be, look the see where the roll pin is positioned through the drive gear. This is where the slot needs to be pointing. Look down into the hole to see where the slot in the pump shaft is pointed. Using a flat blade screwdriver, turn the pump shaft until it's lined up.

Now when you drop in the distributor, it will turn as the drive gear engages with the camshaft. If you rotate the rotor counterclockwise before dropping it in, it should slide down over the pump shaft properly.

 

To add to the above advice.
If the car is on a slope you may have an issue centering the shaft which is what it sounds like to me. With the engine angle, and my garage having good slope, my shaft is always sloping towards the firewall. Take a close look at yours and jack as required. I have to lift mine up about 12 inches at the rear to get shaft to center.

Hope this helps

 

If the hole the pump rod goes through doesn't hold it up straight enough to put the dist in, slob some grease all down in there around it, to hold it centered in the hole. If you REALLY have to, you can ever tear up some toilet paper into real small bits and mix that in with it; a few small scraps is all it takes, and will disintegrate as soon as it cranks up but won't be enough to clog anything.

 

my patience was probly more on edge than anything last night, but will try again when i get home later. thanks for the replies, i've r/r'ed my dist several times but have never had this much trouble getting it to go back in. and as i said in the original post, it was already in once... i did think about having to jack the car , too, to get it to lean back the other way, but never had to do that before, either... oh well - desperate times call for desperate measures!!! hopefully will have better luck this afternoon - will let you know!

 

All I do is get engine to TDC then turn the damper to 6 degrees BTDC, then line distributor up with number one. Then use long screw driver to turn the pump shaft and keep moving the pump shaft till the rotor lines up with number one. I have never had the pump shaft leaning to where it caused a problem though.

 

Chevy Engine plant test stand-TDC on number 1 and the slot straight front to back with the dizzy pointing at number one.You want the gear set to account for the tooth to engage and turn into number one.

 

I have, same as gbayfisher above except mine was flopping forward. The car was on a sloping street instead of the flat garage as I was used to; had me head scratching a while.

 

got it in... i guess what i meant to say the first time is that ol' dumb-butt here put the dist. gear back on the shaft upside down. well, when you do that, it creates the same kind of problem i had. so, um, lesson learned... but i had to throw myself under the bus on that one cuz i knew it'd be good for a laugh or two.

however comma, it still won't start... new post coming up!