The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 235 dist. Bracket removal.

So here is another head scratcher. The cast housing that hold the dist in place on my 235 is cracked. There are two pins located below the dist. which pass thru the block and thread into the cast bracket on the inside of the block. They are staked on the inside where they pass thru the bracket. The head on the pins is oval with no means to screw them out. What is the correct way to remove these pins?

Are the pins threaded through the crack? They are most likely the repair pins holding everything together. They aren't meant to be removed.

Post a picture of what your talking about...

Mike B

That bracket also holds the oil pump. Unless you have a spare engine block to scavenge one from, and the fixture to align the new one as it's installed, the block is junk. Those parts are not available new anywhere, and they were installed permanently when the engine was manufactured. I have swapped oil pump mounts, but it's a high precision operation that most machine shops won't attempt.
Jerry

Jerry,
Ouch, That’s horrible news as that puts me back to square one. What’s the critical issue? Alignment with the distributor? I’m going to have to figure something out. I think I can get the pins out of my spare junk block with a little heat and an Ezout. I’d think if I’m very accurate I can reinstall the salvaged bracket being careful it is true with the dist shaft. It’s worth a try

The distributor, the block, the oil pump, and the camshaft have to be in perfect alignment. Those "pins" are actually headless bolts- - - -and the factory used a precision fixture to align the bracket before the piece was bolted in, and peened from the inside.

I can walk you through removing and replacing that piece, but not with a keyboard. Drop me a PM, and I'll respond with a phone number. You'll need to have access to a machine shop, and someone skilled enough to make the alignment fixture, and it's a "one and done" operation- - - -do it right the first time, or end up with a boat anchor! I think it's possible the holes for the oil pump and distributor might have been line-reamed at the factory AFTER the bracket was installed.
Jerry

OK now I get it. Forgot about the cam gear alignment. I’ll pm you and we can set a time that will work for you.
Thanks for the help👍.

I believe it would be possible to fabricate a fixture that bolts into the block instead of the distributor to guide a chucking reamer the diameter of the oil pump housing. That would align the distributor housing and the oil pump so the pump can be driven properly by the distributor. The pump is secured to the bracket by a single setscrew and a jam nut, which was probably overtightened to cause the original problem.
Jerry

Just asking here but is the block rare or some other reason you would not want to source a rebuildable replacement?

It's "special".

I think his "special" block is the spare he mentioned. It appears to be a boat anchor, from info in the other thread, but has the oil pump bracket he's talking about here.

The block with the broken dist. Bracket is a 1960 engine that is in good shape which I could just bolt in and use. The “special” block is junk so I was hoping to salvage the bracket from the junk block and be able to use the 1960 engine. After I talk with Jerry I’ll know if I have the ability to do this or not. If not I’ll get another 235 and start over 🫤.

OK. I thought there was just one engine. It gets confusing around here with so many similar discussions.

And could always make a new bracket if needed.
If the pins are "threaded" then welding nuts on the outside ovals to thread them out.
Take a depth measurement before removing them.

After we had a very detailed phone conversation, I believe he's going to be able to swap those brackets successfully, but it's not just a matter of bolting a different one on. "Measure twice- - - -cut once" is definitely the way to go here!
Jerry