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Decided to double check my timing after installing the cam, did the whole static timing thing, top dead center, then set the timing mark, and pulled the distributor. Problem is now I can't the disributor back in!! I think the shaft to the oil pump is not in all the way, I played around with it for a couple of hours, and for what ever reason it won't go back in. Any ideas other than pulling the pan and resetting it thru the bottom? Man, I should have left well enough alone.
When I have this problem I just bump the key a few times with the dizzy in place. What this does is turns the motor over and in turn in turns the dizzy which then rotates enough to line up with the oil pump shaft. You can also use a 15/16 socket on the bottom bolt and turn the motor by hand to get the dizzy to drop in the rest of the way.
You shouldn't have to pull the oil pan unless something is really wrong which I dopt there is. Try the above first.
If your timing is right once you have the dist. in far enough to engage the cam shaft gear than it is safe to bump the starter or manually turn the motor with a 15/16 socket on the crank bolt, this some times works best because you can turn the motor with one hand and press down on the top of the dist with the other , the problem you are having is because the hex shaft is out of sinc with the end of the dist shaft and a slight turn will engage it.
I did have encounter that same problem trying to put back the distributor back in.
On our 1982 Ford E150 5.8L 351W engine, the rotor rotates counter-clockwise. Anyway, I've noticed and documented that when the rotor was pointing on the spark plug terminal #1 and I remove the distributor the rotor is pointing close to the next firing order about 20 degrees.
I tried pushing it down and it won't go down and later on I realized that the distributor has to turn to go down to engage the teeth on the camshaft gears and the distributor gears. So for my engine type, I have to put the distributor 20 degrees ahead of the spark plug terminal #1 and the distributor has to turn clockwise while pushing it down to get it engaged properly.
Thanks guys,
I did get it to drop today, but I had to lightly tap the distributor in, I drove it a little, and everything seems okay, I am hoping it dropped into the pump right, I guess with the distributor in it would have to be.