460 oil pump advice needed
 

I'm the happy owner of an '03 Supercrew 150 4X4 so you're asking why the 460 question.
I'm hoping someone will advise me on trouble I'm experiencing with my 460 that has powered my Hallett Jet boat for the last 27 years (650 hours). I've had just minor repairs in those 27 years consisting of starter replacement, carb rebuild, point and condenser replacement.
Here's where the trouble started. After running well initially the first time out this summer it would not idle at the end of the day. I suspected carb problems first and rebuilt it. (pretty simple, Holley) No cure so I moved to the distributor. Replaced the points and condenser only to find a broken spring later after retesting. Tried hard to find replacememt parts for the Prestolite Distributor to no avail I replaced it with a Mallory breakerless thinking this cure would be simple.
Opps, I was unaware that the oil pump rod ran off the distributor or that it could get off alignment and not funtion. (Wish that would have been in the instructions)
Here's where I'm at now.
I can get the rod aligned but for some reason the distributor will not reach the top of the rod? (it is the exact same length as the old distributor, the old one will not reach either?) I ran the engine for very short intervels until I realized I had no oil pressure. I'm trying to prime the engine now to get oil back around and up top but it doesn't seem to be working.
Questions-
How quickly and how much damage might I have done running the engine.
What do I need to do to get the oil pump rod to meet the distributor base.
How can I prime the engine successfully to avoid damage.

Sorry for the long winded post!!

High and dry in Tulsa

460 oil pump advice needed
 

you are very lucky, usually the oil pump rod falls down into the pan. if you are realy realy lucky, you can pickit up with a magnet and set it back in the oil pump. if you are not that lucky, you are getting ready to pull the motor and remove the oil pan to get it back in the pump. sorry.