New Distributor Won't Go In (?)

[Lambrewski]

Tried two different Cardone 30-4891 reman distributors in a rebuilt 360 - can't get either to seat onto the oil pump shaft. Tried cranking while applying light pressure, lining it up manually, and turing engine with a breaker bar to get it in - the gears engage, but it stops a half inch short of fully-seated. Any ideas I haven't tried? Thanks.

[Chevelleguy]

Every A1 Cardone distributor I have installed, no matter what make, I have to file down the housing where it goes into the block. When they bead blast it during the cleaning process, it enlarges the housing so that it no longer fits in the block. Use a large file or a bench grinder with a wire wheel to make the housing a little smaller.

[Marvin Gates]

I had the same problem on every rebuilt I have changed. Just use a file and it will drop right in. smile.gif

[jeepsr4ever]

Yup Dang remans always out of spec

[Elliott]

And for $165 you coulda' bought Ted Wendel's converted GM HEI! ;)

[Lambrewski]

Well - here's the deal. I did file the shaft down so that it would go down into the front cover hole, but it stops about 3/4 inch above fully-seated - so I just assumed that it's hitting the oil gear shaft. Can the distributor shaft be filed down too small?? Will too much additional play hurt anything?? (Like how it meshes with the timing gear??)

[Elliott]

If it's stopping 3/4" above being seated then the distributor gear and drive gear on the cam probably aren't even meshing.
Or maybe it is the pump shaft not engaging, you gotta keep messing with that alingment using a screw driver till you get it right. All else failing, you can get a new pump cover gasket, pull the oil pump cover drop the shaft, see it the distributor will drop down and then replace the pump shaft. Packing the pump gears with vaseline and using a new gasket, reassemble the pump and cover.
I find the pump shaft is usually about 1/8th backed off turn from where I think it should be when it actually engages.

[ October 13, 2003, 06:15 PM: Message edited by: Elliott ]

[PlasticBoob]

I had the same problem, but didn't have to file down the dizzy. I simply turned the oil pump shaft by hand with a screw driver until it was lined up by eye, then stuck in the dizzy. It will stick up 3/4" if the cam and dizzy gears aren't lining up, too. I turned the engine to TDC on the compression stroke, then I made sure the rotor was pointing at approximately #1 and then turned the oil pump shaft accordingly. Make sure your oil pump is primed either with vaseline or spin the oil pump from a drill with this handy dandy priming tool before you start it up. http://www.ifsja.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=016827
The last thing you want is zero oil pressure when you start it up lol Hope this helps.