Tbi 5.7 distibutor woes!!!

[cfan10]

I can't get the distributor to drop all the way, when I've gotten it to seat the rotor would be facing straight towards the front of the engine, or pointing at the #4 plug. Of course I took a long screwdriver to turn the oil pump and try to get it like the rotor and gear.
I always seem to be some teeth off, lift and dropping isn't working.
I did it the old school way, took the #1 plug out turned the engine with a breaker bar felt strong compression used white out to mark what I'm sure is tdc, no timing tab it's broken off. Disconnected the timing wire tan/blk.

As always any advice or tricks to get it right is greatly appreciated!!
I will gladly make a small Christmas donation to whom ever helps with advice that gets this done.

'91 suburban tbi 5.7/700r4

[cfan10]

Couldn't load photos to post.

[AussieinNC]

The distributor needs to not only mesh with the cam gear, but also with the tang of the oil pump drive....

Usually just a small pulse of starter motor from the key will allow the cam to turn the dist shaft enough to mesh with the oil pump tang.

Have a helper just pulse the key to start position while another in pushing down on the outer edge of the dist...watch for the rotating rotor....


Hope this helps...

[Schroedum]

The gears on the dizzy are cut in a sort of spiral. For that reason you should try dropping it in a tooth or two back from where you want it to be. So try dropping it in pointing at the number 5 to start and it should be lined up at the number 1 when it falls in. Then when it's in as far as you can get it have a buddy bump the starter, or turn the engine by hand, while you push the distributor down to let it drop onto the oil pump assuming it didn't already. Just go slow and don't hit it with a hammer.

[CSHADES]

This is how I do it- takes a bit of patience. I drop it in and pull it out moving a tooth at a time until it fully goes in. that's your starting point, then pull it out and turn the rotor 180 degrees drop it in, continue doing this until you get the rotor in the proper position. This moves the oil pump shaft a bit at a time. It takes some practice but after you do it a few times it gets easier.

[daddyjeep]

It just takes a little patience. I don't know about the whole bumping the starter thing. I just moved the oil pump drive with a screwdriver and played around with aligning the gears a couple times until it dropped in correctly. As Schroedum said, start off pointing near #5 and it will rotate in place. If it isn't going all the way down, adjust the oil drive a little more.

[abig84]

I don’t know if it’s the wrong way but I been doing it this way for 20 years just drop the distributor in where you want it and crank the motor, not just bump it. Let it spin around a few times and it will always drop down.

It never drops in for me. I could take it out and try to put it back in the same spot instantly and it won’t drop

[4x4k30]

try to turn the oil pump shaft it hooks to the oil pump turn it around a few times to make sure the oil pump feels like it got pressure the oil pump shaft has a plastic piece that hooks up to the oil pump they break some times and will cause it to not let your distibutor go down I don't have a pic at this time. some of them have plastic to hook to the oil pump shaft and some are metal .. see this pic if it helps . see where its go to the oil pump shaft if can be it just pulled loose from there

[cfan10]

Originally Posted by 4x4k30

try to turn the oil pump shaft it hooks to the oil pump turn it around a few times to make sure the oil pump feels like it got pressure the oil pump shaft has a plastic piece that hooks up to the oil pump they break some times and will cause it to not let your distibutor go down I don't have a pic at this time. some of them have plastic to hook to the oil pump shaft and some are metal .. see this pic if it helps . see where its go to the oil pump shaft if can be it just pulled loose from there

The shaft is really loose kind of leans to one side, I thought it threaded into the oil pump, I'll give it another try today. Thanks.

[cfan10]

Many thanks for the help guys.