New timing cover issue...

[78 Arizona Chief]

Everyone,
I finally finished assembling my new 360 yesterday. Motor purchased from S&S Engine. I also purchased a new timing cover, oil pump, and mid-plate from Bulltear. Installed everything last night. Went to drop in the distributor and found it very difficult to align the oil pump shaft into the dizzy. I ended up pulling off the drive gear and slid the dizzy in to see if it was a tight fit. The dizzy slid right in. I then pulled the oil pump to see if it fit into the dizzy, and it fit, although it was a tight fit. In the end it looks like the timing cover is not machined correctly and the dizzy does not engage the oil pump shaft straight on. I did get the dizzy in finally engaging the oil pump but this would push the dizzy crocked and force it into a bind. It would then be very difficult to rotate the dizzy as you would to advance or retard the timing. Pulling it back out was extremely difficult as well. Any thoughts, or do I need to just get this timing cover warrantied?

FYI, I am runnning a Z&M Jeeps HEI, however I know it is good, because it ran for over 6 months smoothly in the old motor.

I wish i didn't have to pull apart a brand new engine.
Kevin.

[83jtruck]

Are you sure the oil pump is spinning freely? I also put a new timing cover and HEI on last year, and lining up with the pump was a pain, but there was no binding when it did finally seat. I got my cover from BJ's, but I would bet they have the same source as Bulltear. (Crown?) I would suspect something other than the cover. Did the dizzy rotate OK when the gear was off?

[83jtruck]

Just remembered I thought the dizzy and timing cover were too tight when I first assembled it. I could set the timing and it would stay there when I test ran it briefly. But it has loosened up after a year. BTW, I also got my engine from S&S, are you running the stock Elgin cam they use?

[78 Arizona Chief]

83,
I checked the oil pump and it spins very smoothly when by itself. The dizzy also spins extremely smoothly. When I took the dizzy drive gear off and inserted it into the dizzy slot in the timing cover, it fit snug, but was smooth to turn. I then re-installed the drive gear and tried again. The dizzy slides smoothly down the slot, I can feel it start to engage the camshaft gear, and it slides further down smoothly. I can feel it hit the oild pump shaft and it feels very tight sliding onto the oil pump shaft. Once the oil pump is aligned, it takes gentle taps with a rubber mallet to get the dizzy to seat all the way down. Once seated, it is then very tight to rotate the dizzy as you would to advance or retard the timing. It feels as though the dizzy is being forced crooked and into a bind. It is a royal pain to then remove the dizzy. I am not sure if the oil pump shaft is not machined properly so I will be checking that tonight. My gut feeling is that the timing cover is not machined perfectly and has the dizzy engage the oil pump shaft at an angle and not straight on. I talked to Matt at Bulltear and I am going to check the oil pump shaft tonight. Either way, they are being very good about warranty so that is a plus. I just don't want to disassemble a new motor.

I ended up ordering it with an RV style Elgin cam, a Cloyes True double roller, hypereutectic 9.0-1 .030 pistons, had the heads studded and am running Comp Cams chromoly full roller rockers. I think it should be a strong running motor that should last me a long time.
Kevin.

[zmjeeps]

On the motor you got, did you get a new gear on the cam? There are two different kinds, and if you don't match them up correctly, it won't go together right and you will eat cam gears. Check out Bulltear's site, they have lots of info listed on this.

Zack

[78 Arizona Chief]

Zack,
I actually did go ahead and purchase a matched set of gears from Bulltear when eveything else was ordered. I figure if I can get the dizzy into the timing cover, it can't be off that much. Maybe the oil pump shaft has a bur or is flared at the tip that is causing the hangup. I still feel that I will end up having to remove the cover and replace it under warranty. But who knows, maybe the oild pump shaft is the culprit. I will post back tomorrow once I pull the oild pump out.
Kevin.

[shadowjeep]

sounds like it may be the new gear. i had the same fear when i was putting my 360 together. after taking a close look at the gears i decided to use them again. (hopefully not a mistake) most likely the gears wont match up to the old dizzy.

[78 Arizona Chief]

Little update,
I pulled the oil pump last night, and it fits easily into the dizzy shaft with the gear on it. I then pulled the gear off the dizzy and installed it into the timing cover, slid the oil pump shaft up into the timing cover and it engages the dizzy just fine. I then re-installed the dizzy gear and tried to install it into the timing cover with the oil pump removed. As it turns out, the timing cover is not machined correctly because it aligns the dizzy too close to the cam gear and forces into a bind. I then loosened the timing cover to see if it did not align properly on the dowls, but it is tight on them and there is no movement. I then took off the timing cover, removed the new matched set of cam gear and dizzy gear and re-installed the old ones. Tired to install the dizzy in the timing cover and still won't go. Looks like I have a defective timing cover. What a pain. I hate pullnig apart a brand new motor. Oh well.
Kevin.

[GED]

Got my motor with cam gear from S&S engine too.
reused stock cover and distributor gear.

had a [hard time inserting the distributor back too].

had to pull [timing cover to change the seal] and feared re-inserting the distributor after 3200 miles. In fact it went in much easier than last time.

I try to align the oil pump slot with the distributor as it enters the cover. When the distributor is fully inserted, it will turn by about 10 degrees as it slides along the gear. I tap gently with a small hammer to make it slid.

Good luck.