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Old 09-04-2019, 11:47 PM   #1
nikwho
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Distributor install woes...

Hello all,
I'd like to say that I have installed MANY distributors, into many SBC, BBC, SBF, BBF, mopar, Pontiac and Olds engines! I've also never had to ask for help. So, old 350 came out of my '59 Apache. New 383 is going in! I have engine at TDC of compression stroke and oil pump shaft slot oriented towards front/rear of vehicle. Absolutely cannot get it to drop into place! Also, BEFORE the camshaft gears engage, I can feel the oil pump drive shaft engage! I can pull the distributor up a little and only get it to re-engage rotated 180°!

So, now I start playing with my oil pump priming tool. I seat it easily into the old block and have about 5/16" of shaft "reveal" above the anodized piece of my primer tool. When placed into my new 383 block, my oil pump primer tool has approximately 1" of reveal! I can feel that the oil pump drive shaft is seated in the tool on both engines.

So, what might be creating this discrepancy of approximately 11/16"? Does that happen to correlate to the difference in length between say, a small block oil pump drive shaft and a big block oil pump drive shaft? I'm thinking that this figure of approximately 11/16" (actually closer to about 0.710") For clarity, the oil pump shaft is engaging before the distributor gears are meshing with the camshaft dizzy gears, preventing the distributor from dropping in all the way!

I'm SUPER bummed, as I am afraid that regardless of the cause, the engine is going to likely have to come back out and the oil pan be dropped! This sucks because I was about to install the distributor with the engine still on the stand and thought "nah! I'll just do it once, while the engine is in the truck! I never install engines with the distributor installed, to protect the distributor and firewall.

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Nik
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Last edited by nikwho; 09-05-2019 at 12:11 AM. Reason: Spelling/grammar
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Old 09-04-2019, 11:48 PM   #2
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Re: Distributor install woes...

And, since all threads are better with pictures, heres what I pulled out:
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Old 09-04-2019, 11:55 PM   #3
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Re: Distributor install woes...

Here's my fresh 383! I am upgrading from the old 2 bolt main 350 that I had installed in 2008 to the new 4 bolt main, all forged Scat rotating assembly. Updated all of my accessories, new starter, new water pump, new PS pump, new alternator, serpentine belt setup and adding AC! going to be a big improvement! Running a roller cam, full roller rockers and have some Herbert titanium valve retainers that I'll install, once I get my 10° valve locks!

This is the first time that I've painted an aluminum intake manifold, and I must say, I am pleased with the new look!
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Old 09-05-2019, 12:05 AM   #4
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Re: Distributor install woes...

One last picture, with everything buttoned up for the night! I'm going inside for the evening. Gonna regroup this weekend!

Last bit that I am doing in this stage of truck mods is moving the battery to behind the cab/under the bed, AND taking the fugly Camaro brake booster/MC off of the firewall, and going back to a booster/MC/pedal assembly that mounts on the frame rail, with anti-siphon valves, a disc brake proportioned, and a disc brake kit on the rear! Disc brakes are going on a narrowed Ford 9", and I am also ditching the '70's Camaro 10 bolt! My son is building a '70 Camaro and I decided that giving him my rear axle would force me to move forward with my 9" swap! So, once I get this all wrapped up, I'll pretty much be ready to move on to the paint stage of the build. I've got a hard rule with this truck. I change things one thing at a time, and keep it running between every small project! It's kept me MUCH happier than the blown apart full restoration model build '68 GMC sitting beside it in the garage!
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Last edited by nikwho; 09-05-2019 at 12:12 AM.
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Old 09-05-2019, 12:37 AM   #5
burnin oil
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Re: Distributor install woes...

You don't say what oil pump you are using but there are a couple different pump drive rods. Standard SBC, 400sb, and another for running a BB oil pump. All are different lengths.

Two other problems that I have run into are the coupler size being a little tight and a miss machined drive gear. The gear was crooked and would have been fine on a worn stock pump but wouldn't engage a tighter tolerance drive shaft. Funny thing was that was on a MSD drop in HEI.
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Old 09-05-2019, 06:08 PM   #6
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Re: Distributor install woes...

It's a 383. So, 350 block with a 350 Melling oil pump. The only thing that I can think of is that a BBC oil pump drive shaft is 6.773", and a SBC shaft is 6.025", making a 0.748" difference, which is almost exactly how much of a discrepancy there is, from my hasty measurements with a tape measure. So, looks like the pan will need to come off and the oil pump drive shaft be swapped out.

Literally the first time that I have ever not installed a distributor on the stand, before installing into a vehicle. Oh well, live and learn!
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Old 09-07-2019, 08:52 PM   #7
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Re: Distributor install woes...

Well, I yanked the engine back out. The oil pump kit came with a SBC pump (Melling M55) and a BBC shaft! Glad I had an extra SBC shaft kicking around!
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