351C Distriubutor question

[shotsy]

I'm trying to get the distributor stabbed on my motor and it wont go in all of the way. The dist. gear meshes with the Cam but it's not sliding down over the oil pump shaft? (shaft is leaning slightly aft) Is it safe to persuade the dist down with a gentle bump from from a rubber mallet? I know this sounds terrible, but I'm at a loss for some other way to get it drop down?

Here's a picture of the beast!!

 

[Hack]

I don't like the idea of hitting the distributor. You can't force it in. You've got to get everything to line up. Then it will slip right in.

Try getting the oil pump shaft more centered.

You can also rotate the crank a little to get the dist and oil pump shaft oriented the same way.

 

[mustangdave]

Rotating the crank back and forth will turn the oil pump drive shaft so the hex lines up, but if it is too much you need to pull the dizzy back out and turn it a little to account for this. Did you put in the oil pump shaft retaining clip?

 

[shotsy]

Rotating the crank back and forth will turn the oil pump drive shaft so the hex lines up, but if it is too much you need to pull the dizzy back out and turn it a little to account for this. Did you put in the oil pump shaft retaining clip?

Yeah I put the clip in but I didn't think that it should be forced up against the block its's about 1/8th of an inch below the bottom edge of where the bottom of the distributor sits, The shaft wont pull out with the dist and fall into the pan. Should I have made the ring fit snug against the block?

 

[D.Hearne]

Sounds like the hex's on both aren't exactly lined up, and/or the driveshaft is leaning over some and the dist shaft won't center it to allow both to slip together. Try using a deep 5/16" 1/4" drive socket on a long extension to turn the oil shaft a little to line it up. And use Duct tape to secure the socket to the extension so you don't accidentally drop it into the pan.

 

[shotsy]

Rotating the crank back and forth will turn the oil pump drive shaft so the hex lines up, but if it is too much you need to pull the dizzy back out and turn it a little to account for this. Did you put in the oil pump shaft retaining clip?

I gotta say you guys ROCK, thanks for the help. I spun the motor around 1full rev to just before TDC and it fell in like butter!!

 

[Hack]

Rotating the crank back and forth will turn the oil pump drive shaft so the hex lines up, but if it is too much you need to pull the dizzy back out and turn it a little to account for this. Did you put in the oil pump shaft retaining clip?

With the distributor out of the car, the crank doesn't rotate the oil pump. But it will rotate the cam, so the distributor hex will be rotated.