I am using a filler tube with a breather cap (integral filter), I could route to the port behind the carb, but I thought there was enough vacuum in the air cleaner to pull fresh air from the cap, through the crankcase, thereby carrying the fumes out and back to the air cleaner and into the carb. I guess I am incorrectly remembering the set up on my old '63. It had a port from the air cleaner in the PCV system.
I was trying to avoid what amounts to an open vacuum leak into the manifold.
Thanks for catching my errors. I'll reroute as needed.
On a more important note:
as noted in the Engine Shop forum, and with much assistance, I did correctly solve the distributor problem. It was the plastic collar on the oil pump shaft that wasn't seated properly. That has been corrected and the distributor was test fitted and it now seats correctly.
I did get the oil pump primed using a home made tool and a large drill. Approximately 48 psi for a little over 3 minutes.
I started with the steel rod, but I was having trouble keeping it centered on the intermediate shaft for any length of time, so I got creative. I cut a piece of 1/2" copper tubing and cut slots on one end to allow it to be crimped to the rod with a hose clamp. Then I set the tube to be just longer than the steel rod and let it ride on the outside of the intermediate shaft and the steel rod dropped into the slot and drove the shaft with no problems. It didn't come loose after that.
