Are there any tricks of the trade? The distributer is not seating down on the block and I'm afraid to use a mallet. I'm having trouble stabbing the distributor pump shaft in a 5.8 '94 . Everything is marked and scribed and transferred to the rebuilt distributor. Nothing has been moved. Motorcraft numbers match. Part number from Cardone is correct. However, bottom end of the old shart is about 5/8" longerr than the new one. I measured from the pump shaft to the block and the new looks like it should work fine. The cam gears mesh fine and rotor rotates about an hour when lowered but I dont think the end of the distributor shaft is going in the pump shaft hole. I'm guessing the longer shaft allowed stabbing the shaft then the gear instead of vice vesus.

 

Try putting a socket and ratchet on the crank and rocking it a little(just a little). If the pump and shaft are not qiute in line this will let them match up. I get gutsy and jump the soleniod on my, but I don't recommend this to anyone else as it is dangerous.

 

Thanks! Good idea. I have the socket. If that does not work I'll try to find a distributor with the origanal longer shaft length thinking it MIGHT stab easier. Now the shoulder is level with the block...needs another 3/8 to 1/2". The original shaft is about 5/8 longer.

 

I tried another auto supply chain. They had one with 1 1/2" from gear to the end of the shaft like the original. The end 5/8' or so is smaller diameter. It slipped right in less than five seconds. The pump shaft stabbed first then I could still turn the rotor to stab the gear correctly. I spent an hour trying to make the shorter shaft work yesterday. Same part number from the same remanufacturer from an unopened box. It is purring away during warmup to set the timing and pumping oil. Time will tell if this corrects the intermittent dying.