Don't ever take your distributor out unless you want it to stay out! I have been trying for over half an hour to get my distributor in. But that damn oil pump shaft won't go into the bottom of the distributor. I don't know what the hells going on, but I know it shouldn't be this hard. The tip of the shaft is rounded so it should guide itself in...well it doesn't! Anyone else have this problem? Maybe some help? 
Damned Distributor!!!
- Thread starter 88 Fox GT
- Start date
68GEETEE
5 Year Member
took me almost an hour to do mine. I finally got it. Just keep working with it. . I read somewhere that it helps if someone just clicks the starter while you press it down, but I dont know if that really helps.
Did you know the oil pump shaft ROTATES inside there??? Mine does. That's the problem. It's got a hex-type head on it which is supposed to seat into the bottom of the distributor. So it's not in the right damn spot to be able to fit up into there. I'm getting pretty frustrated with this...and I was hoping to get it fired up tonight to see how my new intake is gonna do. 
thehueypilot
Active Member
Put a socket wrench on the balancer main bolt and slowly turn the engine over while pushing down on the dist. cap. It should fall into place about 1/2 turn of the wrench. If it does not fall into place turn the wrench the otherway about 3/4 of a turn. Caution: make sure the ignition key is in your pocket before turning the engine over by hand! 
6Stang7
New Member
Bumping the starter while you're trying to get it in helps. What might be happing here is that your drive shaft is falling out of the distributor while you are trying to stab the distributor. Take a little grease and place some on the end of the shaft that goes into the distributor, then stick it in there. This will create a seal and prevent the shaft from falling out. Now just lower it in and bump the starter at the starter relay until it falls in.
Sorry guys, worked on trying to get it in there for nearly 3 hours and still nothing. Tried everything. Bumping starter didn't work. The gears on the dist. and cam are meeting though. But I think the oil pump shafts head is off just enough to not fit into the bottom of the distributor shaft. I have tried taking a nut driver and turned that shaft a zillion times. Large incroments, small incroments, everything. No luck. Who ever thought of this design really needs to be shot. This is the most pathetic thing I have ever tried installing! A freaking dristributor for gods sake! Who would have ever thought you could try putting in a distributor for 3 hours and still not get it?
6Stang7
New Member
I sounds like your shaft is falling out of the dis. Also, do you have the correct side of the driver shaft going into the pump?
zookeeper
Founding Member
Good point, if you had the blunt end down, I suppose it could resist dropping into the pump, but still, I've always held the distributer down with a bit of pressure, had someone bump the key and it practically falls in by itself. I'd pull the distributer, the oil pump drive shaft and have a look down there to see what's up. With a decent light you can see all the way to the pump, make sure some bit of crap hasn't fallen into the shaft hole. Also, whoever built your motor is at fault, when the pump is bolted on, there's supposed to be a little one-way clip that slides on the shaft, then the pump and shaft are bolted on and the clip should be close enough to the block to prevent the shaft from coming out with the distributer, of course it should still go together easily, so be patient and rather than fight it, keep looking for the reason it won't go, you'll get it.
Wait a minute. The oil pump shaft is supposed to come out WITH the distributor? If so, then theres my problem right there. The oil pump shaft is still sitting down inside the block and I'm trying to put the distributor down on it. So can I take the oil pump shaft out?
Well, good news. I got it in. I guess it just finally decided to give up and go in after I tapped the starter once. So I finished my intake installation and am VERY proud of the improvement. That tunnel ram just made the car run like $hit! You probably all remember me asking about it sputtering at WOT. No more of that 
. It pulls really strong now. And it will fry the tires at will, before it would just sit there and go "put-put-put-pop". Not anymore.
Btw, I'm using a Weiand Stealth intake with my 600cfm Edelbrock.
Thanks everyone for the help!
. It pulls really strong now. And it will fry the tires at will, before it would just sit there and go "put-put-put-pop". Not anymore.
Btw, I'm using a Weiand Stealth intake with my 600cfm Edelbrock.
Thanks everyone for the help!
zookeeper
Founding Member
Glad to hear you got it all together! Sometimes those things can be aggravating, but patience and perseverance is the key. I'm not familiar with your tunnel ram probs, but I've run one before and can tell you that they need a HUGE shot from the accelerator pump system to have much chance at good bottom end. They simply are not meant to enhance the low-end (which is why they are a poor choice for the street) but rather they are meant to be part of a combination geared towards high-rpm power. A decent setup would include things that enhance RPM's like long-duration roller cams (which also kill low end) high compression, steep gears and such. They can be made to work well on the street by using a pair (never try to use only one carb on a tunnel ram) of small, 390 cfm Holleys and a manual trans to help keep the engine in the "meat" of it's torque range, but they're still better suited to the strip. Anyway, congrats on your victory over the distributer!
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