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That's OK. The bottom of the Dizzy will grab the shaft and align it. Spin the engine around to the timing mark is at TDC (Top Dead Center) with #1 cylinder at the compression stroke. You can tell it's the compression stroke by feeling air coming out of the spark plug hole as you spin the engine getting close to TDC. Stab the Dizzy in there with the rotor pointing at #1 cylinder terminal on the cap. Fire it up and set the timing with a timing light.
Yesterday and today I have been attempting to install the distributor. I would of never took it out again but I had a brain fart and forgot that I had to get engine to tdc before I poped it in last time ... now the shaft is in pretty much same position as in the pic I posted, but it doesn’t wiggle around anymore . When I stick screw driver down there and push the shaft back to the center there is a decent amount of pressure keeping the shaft away from the center . I can’t get needle nose pliers open far enough to grab it either ... I’ll probably need to drop the oil pan as far as I can and get my hand up in there to pull it out . Why would it be stuck over to the side like that ? I’m probably just making this really simple fix into a project but any ideas on how to get it out would be great . Thanks
On your oil pump shaft; did it have one of those "retainers" on it near the bottom end (they look like a high centered washer) It might have gotten pushed further onto the shaft slightly off centered. That would make the shaft stand at an angle. I remember "ORich" saying that he stuck JBWeld on his to help hold the retainer in place on the shaft. When you get it out of the engine, check it out. If you do the JB Weld trick, do a test fit, then let it cure before installing.
It doesn’t have a retainer clip . I’m wondering if mabey it got pulled out a little bit this last time I pulled the dizzy and didn’t drop back in , then when I went to install the dizzy I wedged it into the pump at a weird angle ???
Could be, If so I hope it didn't damage the oil pump. But you would think that the 1/4" hex shaft would bend before the pump got hurt. It sure sounds like you are going to be draining the oil and dropping the pan. Check that shaft out real carefully. If it's even slightly messed up, I would not take a chance on it lasting. Get a heavy duty one (Meling or APR).
Sounds like the shaft is bent to me. The clip will be towards the top of the shaft but in the pan. It's purpose, in theory, is to keep the shaft in place when a Dizzy is pulled. Yep, drop the pan an oil pump. Buy a new oil pump gasket, pan gasket, and rear main seal if yours is leaking.
Allrighty I got the shaft in the other day . I realized that last time I installed it I installed it upside down. Since mine doesn’t have a clip on it i couldn’t tell . I looked up some pics and found that the pointed end goes in the dizzy , so the shaft was leaning before because It had so much wiggle room with the pointed end in the pump. I got new plugs and wires ... completely forgot cap and rotor ,but will get them this afternoon . Huge difference when I started it up runs decent still sounds like a misfire here and there. Hopefully cap or rotor fixes that. My timing mark still is a little goofy . It will be right on for a few seconds then bounce around then right on..... but only bouncing around between about 1in . If cap and rotor don’t fix these problems I’m going to swap points out for the electronic ignitor.
Allrighty I got the shaft in the other day . I realized that last time I installed it I installed it upside down. Since mine doesn’t have a clip on it i couldn’t tell . I looked up some pics and found that the pointed end goes in the dizzy , so the shaft was leaning before because It had so much wiggle room with the pointed end in the pump. I got new plugs and wires ... completely forgot cap and rotor ,but will get them this afternoon . Huge difference when I started it up runs decent still sounds like a misfire here and there. Hopefully cap or rotor fixes that. My timing mark still is a little goofy . It will be right on for a few seconds then bounce around then right on..... but only bouncing around between about 1in . If cap and rotor don’t fix these problems I’m going to swap points out for the electronic ignitor.
I'd bet this timing mark issue is the condenser. Either get a Ford Motorcraft condenser or pertronix.
Part number C9AZ12300A (DC13A)
I have a new plugs , wires , cap , rotor , and condesor . It ran ok yesterday like I said in the post yesterday after I installed the plugs and wires . Now I installed the cap, rotor and condesor and it runs like crap . Sounds like I would of mixed up all the wires ( 99% sure I didn’t) i double check my wires each time ive been going out there. I also noticed a few things . On my new rotor the metal tab that’s in the front is longer than the old one by a fat 1/8 . Also on my old rotor the plastic keyway that keeps it from moving on the shaft was broken , I think it was in the right position but then it might not of been. It was at least very close . Lastly my timing mark on my harmonic balancer is roughly at 7 o’clock . Before I changed my cap , rotor and condesor it was at
11 o’clock ... I guess is that advanced ? Could my rotor metal tab being shorter on the old one delay the spark this much ? And do I need to hop my dizzy over teeth till it gets my mark up where I need it?
Try the old condensor. New ones from the parts houses are all junk and usually defective right out of the box. Points and condensor work fine, but they can't be imported scheisse or there will be problems then.
Try the old condensor. New ones from the parts houses are all junk and usually defective right out of the box. Points and condensor work fine, but they can't be imported scheisse or there will be problems then.
I think you nailed it, I put the old one back on and it ran a lot better . Not perfect but a lot better. Ill have to go buy another one and see if it fixes everything ... fingers crossed