Thanks Tony! This is a big clue! I noticed that the wear on the dist gear teeth is above the centerline of the gear. I had thought that the distributor body had "pushed" the gear into the pump body like a drill press. I was wondering how the gear ate into the oil pump, but there was no wear marks on the dist body right above the gear.

Are you saying that since the oil pump drive tang didn't bottom out in the pump, the distributor gear sat too low in relation to the cam gear? And then the screwed up gear geometry allowed the camshaft gear to push the distributor gear further into the oil pump body? The result was that the distributor gear ate into the pump body until the tang finally bottomed out?

This is something so crazy that would happen only to me. frown

Really Stupid Question Time- There is a little white plastic spacer that came with my FelPro gasket kit. Is it supposed to go on the distributor shaft to prevent this???

So I need a pump, a pickup, and a distributor gear.

I plan on cleaning the motor up as best as possible and trying to run it. It may survive. If the oil pressure goes south, I'll know the bearings are ruined.

I'll post pics of dist & pump later today. Think I can get any replacement parts under warranty?

thanks

chip

Preaching the Hot Rod Gospel according to the 4-stroke apostles:

Suck, Squish, Fire and Fumes