Help! Can't Get My Distributor Back In!

[Megan Johnson]

So I have an arp oil oump shaft in my 302 and I had my distributor on it already but then I decided that the old distributor wasn't preforming as it should so I got a new one.. but i can't seem to get it to slip over the shaft...

I just tried the bread method and seems like it's going over the shaft but it won't actually like sit on it Help please??

 

[RaggedGT]

Is your new distributor a factory replacement, or an aftermarket/performance unit?

 

[General karthief]

Find a bolt that fits the hole in your old distributor and see if it fits the new one, or put a daub of grease on the end of your new distributor and stick it in and if it still won't fit look at the pattern on the grease, you may be able to 'read' the grease pattern to tell whats wrong.
Did you put a little oil on the O ring to help it slide in the recess?
Just some old school suggestions.

 

[Megan Johnson]

Is your new distributor a factory replacement, or an aftermarket/performance unit?

Factory replacement from Car Quest

Find a bolt that fits the hole in your old distributor and see if it fits the new one, or put a daub of grease on the end of your new distributor and stick it in and if it still won't fit look at the pattern on the grease, you may be able to 'read' the grease pattern to tell whats wrong.
Did you put a little oil on the O ring to help it slide in the recess?
Just some old school suggestions.

I tried putting the old one back in to see if it was just the new one but even the old one was fighting me. I can try the grease trick

 

[General karthief]

There is a possibility the shaft has lifted out of the pump, look down and see if it is centered
Tape a socket to an extension and turn the shaft to see if it is still in the pump, make sure you don't drop the socket.
Also make sure nothing has fallen down there and the area where the distributor seats in the block is clean.