Oilpump driveshaft fused to distributor bottom

[crazypete]

I yanked up on my distributor after unbolting it and it jumped up a bit then felt like it was getting hung up on something. After some serious prying, it seemed to work its way up slowly and still be holding onto something at the bottom.

Finally it pops out and I see the oilpump driveshaft basically fused to the distributor bottom. I remember from my rebuild that there was a little collar for the oilpump.

Is this normal? Is this cause for concern? Should I just stick the dizzy/shaft assembly back fused as it is at the end of the project? The shaft has the factory hex taper on the bottom so it is not broken.

 

[Michael Yount]

There's a little sheet metal collar around the shaft that prevents it from being pulled out as you did. What happened to it? For you to remove the shaft from the top -- the collar had to have fallen back down into.....the pit of despair. You're not gonna want that collar wandering around down in the crankcase...

 

[Daggar]

I'm trying to imagine your description but it sounds like you're in need of a new dizzy.

 

[crazypete]

There's a little sheet metal collar around the shaft that prevents it from being pulled out as you did. What happened to it? For you to remove the shaft from the top -- the collar had to have fallen back down into.....the pit of despair. You're not gonna want that collar wandering around down in the crankcase...

I remember that collar. I saw it during a rebuild.

I dont think the collar will do anything more exciting than rest against the pickup screen or hopefully find its way out of the drain plug in the next oilchange. Will it fit through the drain plug you think?

The distributor seems just fine. Even the drive gear looks good.

The distributor looks normal, it just has the shaft stuck in the bottom of it (rather than in the oil pump) so it's rather tall at the moment

 

[89white50]

so you're ok with a chunk of metal wandering around in your crank case?...

 

[crazypete]

I cant imagine what I could do at this point other than hope it falls through the drain plug or maybe, when the TC cover comes off....try to reach in there with a magnet and lift it out....if its visible.

It would rest at the bottom of the bottom sump...right? (maybe hopefully?)

 

[8950HO]

Never heard of that happening yet,but if the oil pump shaft was that seized in the bottom of the distributor,pulling it out would make the oil pump shaft pass through the little collar until it slides off and drops in the pan.

Sounds like a pita now because if you put a distributor back in with a non seized shaft and remove it at a later time,your oil pump drive shaft will probably end up in the pan,.
Might also end up in the pan trying to get the oil pump shaft back in if it slips while trying.,.

 

[crazypete]

Tell me about it!

I've come to expect the unexpected and always give myself 3 times the amount of time I think it will take to do something (so when it takes 4 times as long, I wont be that far off) with plenty of budget to fix things I didnt even think I could break.

In other news, looks like the bracket that holds the smogpump was cracked and it fell apart. My car is having one of those weeks.

Will the oilpump...innards ...index properly if the shaft reinserts? I take it the shaft wasnt supposed to come out.

I guess I'll drill-spin the distributor without a cam in place and see if it makes a big mess then I'll know if the pump still works.

 

[8950HO]

If you can get it back in it doesn`t have the be indexed or lined up any special way.That little collar can only hold so much before it starts to slip on the shaft,and pulling up with a seized shaft would do it.

 

[Michael Yount]

I don't think it will come out the drain hole. I can only tell you I'd sure want it out of my crankcase. But -- good luck with it no matter what approach you take.

 

[ECU5.0]

just get a strong magnet and put it on the bottom of the oil pan near the front and move it around and try to catch that piece. than drain the front sump and see if you cant move it towards the hole to see if it will come out. if not, keep the magnet on there unless you want to pull the pan or timing cover. thats what i would do

 

[crazypete]

Well, luckily this is all in a context of a cam swap so the timing cover is coming off tonight. I'm pretty sure it would be in the front sump if anywhere.

I drained the front sump to see if it would fall out. Nothing ..though I did get some nice sludgy oil to rub on the cylinder walls to keep them fresh while the motor is open.

In other news, the pedestal rocker hex-screws got their hexes stripped on every other rocker (theyre not very hard material are they?) so I had to pull the heads with the rockers attached and worry about it later...maybe dremel a slot across the top of the pedestal screw head and use a big mother screwdriver. Man I put those on not 2000 miles ago. Why are they seized?

Man, I dont even abuse this car. Why is she being so troublesome?

 

[Michael Yount]

When hex heads strip it's usually because of 1) they were overtorqued when they were put in, or 2) you're using the (slightly smaller - often a metric vs. US size issue) wrong size hex to try and remove them.

The challenge with grinding the slot is you can't torque them properly on re-install -- which is possibly what caused the problem in the first place. I'd get replacement bolts if I were you -- take 'em to the hardware store/dept. and match the size/length in a Grade 8 bolt.

 

[jerry beach]

The oil pump shaft stuck in the dist. usually means that the hex shape has become rounded where it fits in the dist. I have seen this happen first hand. Pull the shaft out of the dist. and inspect it. I would not put any 302 back together without a hardened oil pump shaft. That POS is the weak link, and it can cost you a motor.

 

[jstang209]

i actually had to use some thick ass grease to make my shaft stay in the distributor.. the damn thing would stand up straight when i was trying to stab my dizzy back in.. so i gotta magnet and pulled it out as far as i could and put grease all over it then it popped right in.. so i dont think its nuthin to worry about.. inless its fuse together by superglue or sumthin haha and u cant get it off

 

[rd]

Been down this road a bit.

I would remove the oil pump drive shaft from the dist and inspect it before reiinstalling it. If the hex is rounded or damaged, replace it.

I would install the shaft in the oil pump before putting the dist back in. It can be handled with a 5/16 socket and grease, or magnet. With the timing cover off, it may be easier, and can be retrieved if dropped.

The rocker bolts dont take a lot of torque. Make sure you have the correct size socket, and a six point if possible.

 

[crazypete]

Wow. Amazing what one can find in one's oilpan with a magnetic pickup. I must have picked up a clean 15 shards of metal from my first 2 shattered distributor gears. Now my thinking is if my motor ran clean with all THAT in there, that collar (still at large...guess it fell into the main sump) wont do much damage.

I checked the distributor and the hex is intact. Nothin like an impact gun to get rambuncious parts to come apart. I'll loctite it back in place.

I just had a fun night swabbing my pistons clean......oddly they seemed to have some side-side jiggle. Not much but it was barely noticable. Some of the pistons even stuck up past the deck a millimeter or so.

Tommorrow I do parts cleaning including prepping those gt-40p's for resale=removing those rockers...somehow. Luckily I actually have some extra pedestal mount hex bolts from my 87 gt.

I used gasoline as a carbon solvent so I feel all lightheaded right now....
ooooooo, new smilies! :SNSign:

 

[Michael Yount]

Here's a smilie for you from the previous post -- context warning though:

i actually had to use some thick ass grease to make my shaft stay in....