The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Distributor issues on 1957 265 v8, w/Pertonics distributor

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

Pertronix ignitions have a reputation for being troublesome in both motorcycle and automotive applications that I'm aware of. You might save yourself some longterm trouble by using the original distributor with a pickup for either a factory HEI ignition or an MSD. Or, once you solve the length mystery using a factory SBC HEI distributor. I can't speak to the distributor shaft length problem as it's a new one on me.

It's time to do some measuring, instead of a SWAG (Scientific Wild-Donkey Guess) based on hearsay. Remove the distributor, and measure the distance from the intake manifold where the distributor mounts, to the bottom of the slot in the oil pump drive. Then compare it to the corresponding measurement on the distributor. If it's different, machine the flange off the distributor housing and use a split shaft collar set to the proper depth and clamped tightly onto the housing. That's the same way I adapt a GM HEI distributor to a stovebolt six. Those distributors (intended for 250 and 292 engines) are also a little bit short to fit the 216/235/261 engines. Like the Sun test equipment slogan used to say- - - -"We test- - -not guess!"
Jerry

You may not have a distributor problem. It's been a while since I worked on a 265 but there was an issue
with the early engines. As I recall there was a slot ground in the rear journal of the camshaft on 265's and
some early 283's that was not applicable to later engines. If you replaced the cam, it would not have
this slot and subsequently no oil pressure.
Fred

To the best of my knowledge, the only V-8 distributor that used a different length shaft was for a 348.

If he can spin the pump shaft with the modified distributor priming tool and achieves oil pressure, I don't think the camshaft is the issue.

Hello again, Engine shop. Continuing saga on distributor issue. Pertonix tech says ~58 GM retooled the sbc's in the vicinity of the oil passages near cam gear & changed cocnfiguration of the distr shaft to improve the design. Thus <~58, 265 & 283 will have blocked oil passages to upper engine, if a >58 (& current) new distributor is installed. Which I have verified by trial & error. I believe I have another <~58 org distibutor in my 'stuff'.
I will clean it up (very dirty), try to verify that it is not worn out & then install electronic kit direct from Pertronix for my old distributor.
I now believe that my issue was that new distributor was making oil pressure, but with upper passage blocked, we could not see gage oil pressure. Tech I visited with twice now, assured me that there likely was oil pressure to the lower end but none to the top, due to blockage from wrong (new) distibutor.
I will update as I attempt to get back to breaking in my 265 with only a week lost. I now have an extra Pertronx distributor to put in my pile of old ones!
Summit, who sold me the new distributor, has thus far refused to take it back!
delky dave in Wyo

Just a side note, I have had great success with Summit Racing when returning or asking for refunds. I can understand their reluctance to accept the distributor due to it being an electrical/electronic item and having been mounted and run on the engine.

The distributor problem concerning oil pressure with the 265 was resolved in the late 1950s with a different shape to the housing where it intersects the oil passages to the valve lifter oil galleries. The original 265 distributor had a flat spot which had to be clocked exactly right to allow oil to get to the passenger's side lifters. If the housing was rotated incorrectly and the spark plug wires repositioned to compensate, half the lifters would lose oil pressure and collapse, while the rest of the engine would get lubed properly. Any distributor from 1959 forward will solve the problem, because it has a full circle groove instead of a flat spot in that area.

This is not hearsay- - - - -I've experienced the exact problem and solved it by positioning the distributor correctly.
Jerry

Does that mean that Delky can machine the new Pertronics distributor to allow oil to both lifter banks. If the new distributor is specifically made for the 265, maybe it isn't clocked correctly?

You have the original distributor and the replacement one
Set them side by side and look at them and measure

Take a picture and post it
An experienced guy like Jerry can tell a great deal just by looking at it

I remember doing a engine replacement in an early El Camino and had no oil pressure and I believe there were 2 or 3 different length oil pump drive rods, after changing out the drive rod it worked fine. But that was 50 or 60 years ago so my memory may be a little fuzzy.