Oil pump inter. shaft blunder?

[89-GT]

I pulled my old 302HO out and replaced it with a Cobra 302.
Replaced the stock oil pump with a Melling.

Buttoned everything back up and dropped the engine in.
Finished the top and the front and filled all the fluids.
Time to prime the engine and get the oil flowing

....but when I tried to use the 1/4in socket with the 1/4 drive and extension it would not turn.
Then I thought maybe it wasn't a 1/4in socket. Tried a few others. Still would not turn.
Grabbed the drop light to see what was going on.

Sorry for the story but here is the problem...

The intermediate shaft (hex tube) is not inline with the distributer hole!
Its off the the side where the gear is. yeah yeah I missed the hole lol.
I didn't even think to check the alignment.

Is there a way to get the shaft back into place without having to pull the engine back out?

I hope I am not the only one who has ever done this.

Any help would be appriciated.

 

[cjones]

an extenable magnet

if it's jammed in, the long needle nosed pliers.

 

[89-GT]

I didn't drop anything in the hole.

The hex rod is not in alignment. Even if I were to put the distributor in, the end of the hex tube will not insert into the distributor. Because it is not in the hole its off to the side.

Thank you for the quick response

 

[vristang]

The intermediate shaft (hex tube) is not inline with the distributer hole!
Its off the the side where the gear is. yeah yeah I missed the hole lol.

In the name of decency I won't take this joke any further...


To do the job right, you need to remove the oil pan, possibly the oil pump.
It will be tough to get the star washer on the oil shaft positioned properly.

I *think* you need to atleast pull the pan to get at the dist drive shaft.
Not sure if you can pull the pan without pulling the motor though...
I never tried that.

Keep us posted,
jason

 

[90_Red_LX]

In the name of decency I won't take this joke any further...


To do the job right, you need to remove the oil pan, possibly the oil pump.
It will be tough to get the star washer on the oil shaft positioned properly.

I *think* you need to atleast pull the pan to get at the dist drive shaft.
Not sure if you can pull the pan without pulling the motor though...
I never tried that.

Keep us posted,
jason

According to the haynes manual it is possible, but it is as much of a bitch as pulling the motor. You have to drop the oil pump and pickup into the pan before the pan can come out, with the motor jacked up. The way that will lead to less cuss words: pull the motor.

 

[jammer84_03]

i didnt have the hat on the shaft when i did my first rebuild and it stayed of til the one recent....40g miles later it was fine. never jumped off. you can take a socket and a long extension and put pressure to one side and lift up . its alomst impossible to get it to drop into the pan. it takes a liitle patience to get in but it will work. just make sure you drop the dizzy in correctly or you may end up doing it again when u pull the dizzy back up. just listen for the sound of the shaft clinking. just next teardown dont forget the hat. if you do have the hat on and its stuck because of that, have fun tearing the pan off cuz that will be the only way of loosening the hat far enough to get the stick in correctly. last but not least. if you tightened down the pump without the stick in and got it wedged in you will again have to do the tear down for sure.

hope that helps - james

 

[93 LX]

exactly how many miles is 40G?

Allen

 

[BK_CAULEY]

exactly how many miles is 40G?

Allen

40 grand = 40,000