Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines Oil Pump Instalation

Hi Inliners, I have a problem with my distributor shaft binding in the dist housing when the shaft tab engages the oil pump drive. I have loosened off the oil pump retaining bolt and this has help a little. Any idea what I'am doing wrong. Thanks
Ron {302 gmc}

Dear Ron;

An "educated guess" would be that somehow your dist. shaft was bent along the way. Take it somewhere where there is a Sun/SnapOn Dist. machine & spin it up and see.

Good luck, John M......

John, both the dist & oil pump turn freely on their own. I thing it has to be how the oil pump is sitting in the block.

I have ran into this same kinda issue with the 194,230,250,292 blocks/Dist. when getting a Reman dist. With them being Bead blasted clean so many time the base becomes smaller which in turn makes for a bind on the oil pump when bolted down. Or forgot the gasket. You can try and find dist. shims Like they Use On the Vthings. this may help If that is How your getting your Bind on the dist to oil pump shaft. Hope this helps.}[oooooo]

Thanks guys, I have found the problem, the dist shaft was to tight in the oil pump drive, had to open up the pump drive slot a touch. What I need to know now is how tight do you do up the oil pump set screw?? Thanks
Ron

Dear Ron;

Okay the "set screw" is to position or center the pump. On the 216/235/261(s) It's the same I believe.

Tighten it up snug & then losen 1/4 turn. While holding it there, tighten the lock nut good.

Good luck, John M.......

RE: distib shims from the V things.....

I had to raise the HEI in my 250 and found the V type HEI has a different sized neck where it fits into the hole. The solution was a trip to the local hardware store for a nylon washer that was the same OD as the collar of the HEI. Then simply open up the hole until it fit over the neck under the collar. A dremel tool worked fine. Deburr the slag that comes off and you have both a shim and the nylon is soft enough to be the gasket as well. This is the same material that oil pan drain plug gaskets are made from.
At this particular store the size I got came in 1/16 and 1/8 thickness. The 1/8 was what I needed.

Hope this might help someone else solve a shim problem. Mike

Thanks for all the help guys. I fired the 320 up last night! You gotta love that JIMMY rapp!!!Will post some pics in the rides section.
Ron