The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Dist. Mounting problems

I primed the engine using an oil pump primer and a drill. I went to install the distributor and I can't seem to get it to seat down so that the oil ring/oil seal will be below the lip to seal the hole.

This is the same unit it took off the older engine. I can't figure it out. I looked in the shop manual and there are two drawings of the distributor.

One is for a 305 V-6 and the other is for a 351 V-6. Would there be a difference in the block or is the main hole more shallow? This is got me stumped.

BTW While the distributor is in the hole I can turn the main crank and the distributor will rotate so I know that I'm meshing gears. I put some axle grease on the shaft to help with a bit of lubrication, but to me it does not want to seat all the way down.

You ever had this happen before?

Thanks
Jake

Might not be lining up with the oil pump shaft quite right. You might try turning the shaft with a long hadled screwdriver to make an adjustment in its position to get the dizzy to deat better.

If it is meshing with the gear,just tap the motor over a bit at a time while gently pushing down on the dizzy.It should drop down when the oil pump lines up.Then you can double check number one lines up just to be safe.

I'll check the alignment of the pump drive shaft, That's probally it.

Use your primer tool to turn the pump shaft. I put a mark on the top of mine to line up the pump shaft with the dizzy, make stabbing the distributor very easy, just make sure your motor is at TDC.

I use Grubs method. You can line up that slot all day but as you drop in the dist it turns with the beveled gears.

Maybe I am missing something here Wrenchbender, but by doing that how can you be assured that the rotor will be on #1. By bumping the starter #1 comes off of TDC and also turns the rotor if the gears are meshed. I can picture what you are stating, but maybe I am not getting the whole picture.

If you have it so close that all that it lacks is droping in the oil pump slot you will be timed right. You can allow for the slight rotation as it goes down further. Then like Gruby says you go around again & line up the marks & turn the dist so the relucter lines up with the stator or the points just brake. You will be real close to the correct timing. Ive done hundreds of them this way.

Yup, I used to try to line it up with a long screwdriver,to much hassle.Now it's easy....drop it, tap it,double check if ya want,run it!!

Thanks makes sense now

Alright I give it a try, but will neet to put on the lower crank first. to make sure I'm at TDC. "I" though I could simply drop it in the hole and set it later. But know I have to make sure sae is lined up at TDC.

Stupid QUESTION, I think. I understand that the TDC marks on the crank wheel will help me line up and I saw some one use the position of the #1 cylinder when the exhaust was open as a guide. But do I follow Grubs method to install the dist and THEN align the #1? Remember I'm learninn all this stuff some for the first time.

Got some learning to do.

Not sure if this applies to your application but on SBC..I remove the plugs so I don't fight compression. There are two TDC's one is the compression stroke (Piston at top of cylinder) and the exhaust stroke at the bottom of cylinder, for lack of a better term. Using your timeing mark put your finger over the #1 spark plug hole, and as it comes up to the top of the cylinder air will push thru the hole and push your finger from the hole. Line up your timing mark so it is on zero and the balancer mark. You should be at TDC. If for some reason the balancer or the timing marker have been changed (Seen it happen) a piece of wire can be bent in an "L" shape and put into the spark plug hole to "feel" if the piston is at the top of the cylinder. Do this gently so you do not scratch the top of the piston.

Then figure out which wire on the dist cap is to be #1 and mark the base of the dist with a sharpie (Small line on the base)and also the cap with masking tape. Line up the rotor with the mark on the base of the distrubutor and stab the distrubtor . When the dist is seated, check again, bring your engine to TDC on the compression stroke and look at the position of the rotor. Should line up with the mark you placed on the distributor base. Also check to make sure you have clearance so you can rotate the dist. for timing purposes. If the rotor does not line up with the mark you have missed it by a tooth or two on the dizzy gear, try stabbing it again. Remember the dist will rotate slightly because of the gears.

You will then need to find out what the firing order is and the rotation of the dizzy, to route the rest of your plug wires.

Here is a link for the firing order and rotation for a SBC

http://www.boxwrench.net/specs/chevy_sb.htm

Of course I've ran across quite a few that just stick the dizzy in and take any terminal and use it for number 1.It work's but it tickes me off.....Grub

it's not too much trouble to line up the oil pump shaft by hand either. look at the place the slot needs to face, turn it with the priming tool, when you start the dist in turn it 25 deg or so to left it will end up rotating to just the right position. i am sure the other method works very well and might be a hair faster- just like wrenchbender and grub says. i bet they have both stabbed more dist than i have. eyeballing it is not that bad though.

Ok.

When I got home I removed the dist. from the hole, removed the pump drive shaft, and tried to seat the dist. in th hole by it's self. Put some light downward pressure on the top of the dist. and slowly turned the crank, she dropped into place.

Then I put the shaft in the pump and did the same thing with the dist. ,again she seated into th block as she was supposed to.

So now having cured one issue, I need to line everything up so she can fire right.

Thanks for all the advice! You learn something new evryday.

Jake

It doesn't really matter if the distributor has to rotate a little to match up with #1 as long as you have some adjustment room left before the vacuum advance mechanism hits something. If you want you can set it up so that the number 1 tower points towards the rear of the vehicle. The only important thing is that the Number 1 plug wire is connected to the tower that the rotor/reluctor passes when cylinder 1 is just before TDC and it's intake and exhaust valves are closed.

The relationship between the rotor/reluctor and the engine block isn't important. Only the relationship between the rotor/reluctor and the distributor cap matters.

It took me a while to figure that out, but sticking distributors has been a lot easier since then.

This thread will prove useful when I am ready to crank my engine.