distributor shaft moves 1/8 to 1/4 inch

[gregchrysler]

Help again    My distributor shaft moves a little when I turn it by hand set into the motor - would this mark the car run slow?

It seems I have no power after pushing down the accelerator.  I just had the tranny redone $3000.00 ouch

and since I got the car back - very hard to start-  They might have shorted out the points they didn't know it was a positive ground

Maybe somethin else shorted also  I have gas at carb and orange spark   not white.  Help me   thanks

[Guest]

I assume you are talking about a rotational movement.  Obviously the shaft will rotate when you insert it into the engine.  It has a spiral gear so it turns as it engages. If you didn't note where the rotor was pointing just as you pulled the distributor out (when it stopped rotating) you need to reset your timing.  It is probably late.  You should have an adjustment by loosening the dist clamp or hold down.  You want to rotate the housing in the opposite direction that the rotor turns.  Start the engine with the clamp slightly loose and then turn the housing,  the engine should speed up.  Otherwise you need to get number 1 cylinder at top dead center, insert ehe distributor and start with number one sparkplug wire opposite the rotor.  At that point the points should be just opening.

If we knew that you were working on we could be clearer.

I don't know any reason that positive ground or negative ground would have any thing to do with shorting the points.  In fact in over 65 years working on cars I have never heard the term shorting points.  All they do is open and close, when closed electrons flow through the primary winding of the coil setting up a magnetic field. The moment the points open the electrical field collapses causing a high voltage in the secondary wiring in the coil.  This current goes in the center of the cap, across the rotor and out to the proper plug.

If the ignition was left on with the points in the closed position they could burn (turn blue) and wouldn't conduct electricity so you could get little or no spark.  Telling us the colour of the points would help.

Edited January 3, 2018 by Guest (see edit history)

[Spinneyhill]

If you mean there is a little backlash, that is alright. It is always driven. If you mean the shaft is loose in the bush and can wobble about, that will cause variable timing. If this is the case, get what it runs in bushed (the base of the distributor?) so it doesn't move around. I had one done and the shaft hard chromed and ground to bring it back to standard. Engine ran much more smoothly. But you need the timing right too.

[Rusty_OToole]

If you mean rotation it could be something. Most cars have a centrifugal advance (you don't say what kind of car you have). The advance mechanism can be rotated by hand but should return to its original position.

[gregchrysler]

thanks spinney and tinindian   the points do look blue does that mean 

[gregchrysler]

hi Rusty  1949 Chrysler spitfire  6 cyl 251cc   With the distributor cap off I can rotate the distributor shaft 1/4 inch or less.  Is it supposed to be tight no movement or just a little play  I do have centrif. vac  advance  thanks rusty

[c49er]

That's normal distributor rotation slop on a Chrysler MoPar flathead distributor...advance spring weight slop. Two weights... two springs cause that slop when you try to turn the rotor..

Not a concern at all.

[c49er]

If it ran OK before the trans work... right up to that and now won't start at all possibly they left the key on and burned the points or they wired up the M-6 transmission wrong... solenoid/ interrupter switch or governor.

Back to basics... you need fuel, spark and compression plus close spark timing.

[gregchrysler]

Thanks bob  they shorted battery by reversing polarity  battery dead  I think points burned also or capacitor   got fuel - weak spark orangy  - compresssion 125 psi- and oxygen

[MikeC5]

I think there will always be some gear backlash that will allow some CW/CCW rotation slop but as mentioned above, it is always driven and so would not affect things.  I imagine excessive gear wear could cause problems but suspect that worn bushings are a more common problem.  

[c49er]

There is no gear on the distributor shaft on a 23 or 25" Mopar flathead. 

The oil pimp has a gear that drives the distributor shaft which has a 3/16"  drive tang on the end of the shaft.

That drive tang normally does not wear at all. Nor does the pump drive gear and slot.