as long as you dont drop it down into your oil pan like i did. Had to remove the pan to retrieve the damn thing. I left the pan off, and used some grease to create a suction at the bottom of the distributor to hold the shaft in place. It dropped out again, this time I had the pan off, so no harm done. The second attempt was successful, just take your time with it, it doesnt go into place very easy.
There is a clip from the factory that keeps it from following your distributor as you pull it out. There is no way to install from above and retain this clip. Also, installing from the top is not easy, you can't see down there and it is easy to drop into the pan.
My pump shaft fell out when i brought my 351c home from the machine shop.
I had the pan put on to keep it clean and didn't discover the shaft was missing until I went to prime it in the car. Had to pull the pan.
I'm almost finished putting my engine together and I noticed that the oil pump shaft was not put in. Damn! I'm gonna try putting it in from the top. I 'll put a dab of silicon on the tip to hold it in the pump. If I drop it, then I'll take the pan back off.
My machinist hates silicone. He found a piece in a locked up pump one time and uses aslittle as absolutly possible. After you start the car the silicone will be ground into tiny little pieces and end up in the filter, in my novice opinion.
so in other words that little pain in the a** shaft can be put back in through the distributor hole, correct? cause i yanked out my old dist. to put in a mallory and didnt even think about that little shaft comin up with my old dist. So i did the usual cussing and ranting and raving because i thought the only way to get it back in was to drop the pan....anyways, all i really want to know is that the shaft can be dropped in from the top for sure? right? and with like what? what should i use to get it back in there? some long needle nose pliers? grease on the mallory? silicone? whats the best method for a lazy guy
Just a few guesses: you could try assembly lube to help it stick in the pump, needle nose pliers or one of those pickup magnets to lower it in. If you ever remove uor distributor it will pull out since you don't have the clip on it, ( I think). I don't know if the clip keeps it from falling down or pulling up and out. According to Max Power it goes on from the bottom and keeps it from pullin out when you remove the dizzy.
I once bought a frsh rebuild 302 for $200 because the shaft dropped into the oil pan after everything was assembled. The guy was so frustrated he didn't want anything to do with it. I sold the engine for $400 without touching it. Don't get aggravated; just be methodical and do what you have to. Good luck!
Stick the shaft in a McDonalds straw (it's the correct size) and then guide it down into the oil pump. Push the shaft out with a bit of welding rod or coat hanger wire.
Stick the shaft in a McDonalds straw (it's the correct size) and then guide it down into the oil pump. Push the shaft out with a bit of welding rod or coat hanger wire.
Genius! So Wendy's and Hardees straws are G.M. products?
I was just curious on some opinions now that we're on the topic. My friend and I were having a conversation over the necessity to prime the oil pump through the shaft hole before initial startup on a new engine. He just did his motor and didn't do it and I said he should have. Any thoughts or experience?
Why take a chance on dropping it into the pan? Just pull the pan, just so happens, a classic Stang is probably the easiest car to do this on. As for reinstalling the pan, get a one piece Felpro oilpan gasket , it's the easiest gasket to use in reinstalling a pan in the car. And one more tip, get a set of pan rail stiffeners from an 80's- up 5.0, these along with the felpro gasket will insure you'll have no leaks when you're done.
And in the future, whenever pulling a distributor, shake it gently as you pull it out, to dislodge the shaft from the dist bottom, just incase you or someone else didn't install the keeper that keeps it from coming out.