Hello, Engine shop! My first post here, but am on SB daily & keep up with threads here. I am, just today, starting up my rebuilt 265 for first time. My truck is 57 3100 factory 265, which has been in my possession since 1968. Its been a long haul re-doing this truck but I am seeing some glimmer of light at tunnels end.
I purchased a Pertonixs distributor that is installed in it now, along with a Pertonix coil. Got plug wires all going in the right direction and timing seems close.
---My problem is this, it seems like the distributor gear is engaging the cam okay (it ran for <1 minute reasonably well) after we took the flooding, stock 2 barrel apart & got the float to work. Had oil pressure gauge hooked up & it showed ~35 psi when we primed the oil pump (twice)
Upon start up I noticed that we had 0 psi on gauge. Shut off engine. Pulled the distributor & put oil primer (old sb distributor shaft modified to use a oil primer) which we made up, due to the fact that the oil priming tool I purchased didn't seem to engage the oil pump (3 tries).
The oil pressure came right up with the improvised tool.
My mechanicaly inclined neighbor, who is helping due to my phyiscal limitations, did a bit of researching this pm and advises that, in 1959 or thereabouts & thereafter ???, apparently the distributor shafts for sbc's were shortened a bit from previous.
Thus it seems that I have a 265, and a 265 oil pump but the Pertronix distributor is the shorter, & later length----engages the cam but probably just misses the oil pump slot.
As it is Sunday, I have not contacted Pertronix but I will do so tomorrow.
I'm sure this isn't the first time this has happened--Just thought I would throw it out on the table for you experts with years of experience with old GM iron!
Any help would be appreciated!
Delky Dave in Wyo
