hi, i just put a 350 in my 79. i was trying to set the timing and im having problesm getting the distributer to sit. i know its gettn hung up on the oil pump drive. i can get it to sit. but than the rotor is not sitting towards the number one on the cap. i have number one at tdc with both valves closed. what do i do to get the distributer sittin right???

 

long flat blade screw driver very carefully turn oil pump intermediate shaft to where it needs to be

 

good advise ghotachevy,flashlight and a long flat blade screwdriver will get the job done.when you find the right spot it will fall right in.

 

Or
move the #1 wire to where the rotor is pointing--then continue the fireing order from there...no big it's even fire...

 

easy way.....drop the distributer in so it's as close to #1 as you can get, if the distributor sits up a 1/4" off the oil pump, no big deal, the distributor gear and cam gear are already in contact, make sure the power is disconnected from the distributor, hook up the battery and bump the starter a couple of times, the oil pump slot will find the distributor slot, and the distributor will drop into place..........only done this a couple of hundred times.....Jeff

 

that will work to 68 berserk.i've done that a time or two myself.

 

That's a surefire way to either break a tooth on the distributor gear or sheer the rollpin inside your distributor. It works but it's definately not recommended.

The best way to get your distributor in is the "screwdriver" method that ghota said above.

Take your screwdriver and rotate the slot in the oil pump shaft so that it points towards the #1 cylinder. Now one thing to remember is that the rotor tab is always lined up with the distributor shaft that mates with the oil pump shaft slot.

Now set your distributor in the hole and make sure that the rotor tab is pointing in the vacinty of the #5 cylinder and that your vacuum advance is somewhere in the neighborhood of the #6 or #8 cylinder. Why point the rotor tab so far away from the #1 cylinder? Remember that the distributor gear and the cam gear are cut on a spiral. What you are trying to do is give the rotor some lead time to get down to the slot. The shaft will turn as it is seating on the slot, but the housing won't move.

Now just as you hit the cam gear, rotate the rotor just barely back and forth until it catches and drops into place. Your rotor tab should now be pointing toward the #1 cylinder, give or take a 1/4 of an inch. If not pull thedistributor straight back out and make sure the slot is still lined up and try it again with a slightly different postion of the rotor as its going down.

This will work every time and is the saftest and most correct way to do it. This allows a fair amount of adjustment when setting your advance and this way the wires don't get pulled too far around one way or the other.

RM

 

sorry ratmoter, but your wrong with a side of wrong.......I guess thats why I've stayed off the websites for so long..............the cam and distributorgears are 90% meashed.....you're not starting the engine........I thought I might help someone whose been in my situation before.....but instead..............I'm done doing anything other than yuking at those who think they know what ther're doing.

nothin' personal......Jeff P.....

 

I would never recommend the method you stated above and I believe most good engine builders would say the same thing.

The gears are not 90% meshed. You have a spiral cut gear and a slot that is every bit more than 1/4" deep and your cam gear is is not much more than that. If the distributor shaft is not in the slot, then it damn sure isn't 90% meshed. Why take a chance. If you follow the method that I explained, you will do it once and only once and the spark plug wires will be properly lined up and your engine will fire the first time. (granted that you have the engine at TDC on the compression stroke)

Re-read my first sentence. I have been a part of it when it happened. What do you do then? Oh Sh*t, now I have to take the engine apart because there is a piece of cam gear in there. That's fun.

The way you have described is a shortcut method for not doing something with care. It may work, but why take the chance? You're probably the kind of person that would run an aluminum bell housing at the track. Look who's yucking now.

Do yourself a favor and stay off the website like you said before,seeing that you only have four posts I'm sure you do a lot of lurking. I've built/re-built more engines that you have probably seen. DONE....

RM

 

Like I said, nothing personel......it does work...every time..... I'm 51 years old (past my lurking stage)and have completly restored / built,15- 67 to 69 Camaros for myself not to mention numorous other rods......careful who you call a rookie.....even though that's where we all start.....your method will work....mine's just easier.....let's let it go.

PS....I do use a scattershield !
Jeff