Has anyone had a problem reinstalling there distributer in a 1978 400m engine?

If I take the gear off the dist. it will seat fine, with the gear on, I can not get it to engage with the cam and seat, does anyone have an idea why this is happening?

 

The oil pump drive shaft is not lining up with the socket on the bottom of the distributor gear. Try turning the crank a bit at a time until the gear and shaft line up. The distributor should then drop right in.
You might also get an oil pump primer tool....it's a long tube with a hex socket on one end that goes down into the distro hole and engages the oil pump drive shaft. The tool is then turned with a drill motor to prime the pump and fill the oil galleries.....good idea to prime the oiling system anyway before the engine is first cranked up.

 

Thanks for the reply, yea I have primed the engine twice, here lyes the problem, I can get the dist. to seat without the gear on it, seems the gear is hitting an internal plug, just by a hair, the only way to get to the plug is to pull the timing cover and I do not want to do this, now here is another question, a buddie of mine has several dist for ford engines, the diam. on the gears of these are smaller than mine, what would happen if I were to switch to a smaller dia.
Thanks

James

 

Don't change out that gear for any other....if the distributor you have came with that engine, then that's the gear that will match the cam gear.
If you know what's blocking the distributor from seating, then correct the problem even if it entails some work you'd rather not do.....A little extra work: Engine runs.
No extra work: Engine doesn't run.....your choice.

 

Thanks Katturman, here is the situation, Got the Engine out of O.C. Cal., totally rebuilt long block, I do not know what dist. came out of it, I am trying to intsall The 1978 dist. in it! Where do I go from here?

James

 

Find the distro that fits in a junkyard or try this:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SU...n/?prefilter=1

You may be better off with the new Summit unit....at least you know it will fit, providing you know the year of the long block you have.

 

you could have the wrong dizzy....

the shafts are different according to engine and year...

 

Thanks All, My Buddie is stopping by this evening, he works at a machine shop and has built hundreds of engines, were going to look at this closely, i will let you all know what we come up with.

James

 

Internal "plug" was in the way, worked around it, got the dist. and gear in, fired right up! Break in time tonite!

James