Distributor installation on a 1955 Buick 322 V8 *DELETED*

[FireballV8]

Post deleted by FireballV8

[Bhigdog]

Any chance you boogered up the pump or dist. shaft by running them unseated?

[KAD36]

I stuck a screwdriver down the dist shaft opening to find and mark which way the slot was on the oil pump, then lined up the dist slightly off (I think CW about 1/2 inch) so that as it dropped in and rotated as it began to seat on the helical cam gear, it would catch the oil pump shaft. I didn't seat it right the first time either - took a couple of tries to make sure the distributor shaft base sat flush on the block and dropped all the way down, and while rotating it didn't overshoot the #1 plug position.

Hopefully nothing got mashed on you - good luck.

[FireballV8]

Guys

Both seem undamaged, I got it to seat properly tonight after a few tries. It runs good, just need to do final adjustments. Thanks for the tips.

[NTX5467]

When I had the distributor out of my Camaro SBC V-8, I had some trouble getting things to line up and fully seat in. Rather than use a long screwdriver (which I didn't have), I used the tire iron that came with the car. It went in and I could carefully get it lined up with the oil pump slot. Then, I knew which way the rotor should be turned when I put the distributor in (from the angle of the angled part of the tire tool.

Also, I noticed that when I had cranked the motor over or it had run just prior to the removal of the distributor, the rotor would not clock in as it had come out. I had to re-clock the slot in the oil pump shaft with the tire tool. Even then, if I didn't get it put back in pretty quick, it'd move. I suspect the residual oil in the engine was flowing back to the pan through the oil pump and moving the shaft (without the resistance of the distributor to keep the gears and shaft from moving). When I came back the next night and tried it again, after it sitting for about 20+ hours, everything went right in as desired on the first try. Therefore, oil drain-back might be an issue in some cases.

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467

[FireballV8]

Willis

Good idea on waiting, I waited about 20 some hours and it all worked out fairly easily.

I never thought about theoil in the pump.

Steve