Real time help - distributor re-installation (1 Viewer)

[Super77]

I pulled my the distributor on my 3FE (88 FJ62) to access the pushrod cover, which has a leaky gasket. Before pulling it, I carefully marked the rotor location with a Sharpie, as well as the rotational position of the distributor in its hole. Did the best I could to pull it straight out, no rotation. Stuck a wadded up paper towel down the hole while I worked on the pushrod cover to prevent debris from falling in.

Since I pulled it, I have removed the oil filter and rolled the truck back about 4' in neutral (taking it out of P and putting it back in P). Have not started it. When I drop the dizzy back in, the position in which both the gear aligns AND the tip drops into the oil pump is about 20 deg off from where it was when I pulled it. It seems there are only two ways it can go and drop all the way in - 180 deg apart from each other. Neither one is where it was originally.

What happened? Could either the oil pump or the gear in the engine have rotated?

Reading up on threads here, it seems I can rotate the oil pump with a long screwdriver to get back to where I can align the dizzy like it was. Is that enough, or do I have to align to TDC on #1? If the gear in the engine has not rotated, the dizzy's relationship to the engine should be the same as before if I just manually rotate the oil pump. My understanding is that the oil pump itself does not care about its rotational position, but the rotor-gear-engine rotational alignment has to be right to ensure correct timing, yes?

 

[Infinity00]

Ive never been able to pull my distributor and just stab it back in. There’s always messing around with turning the pump and trying to get the dizzy to land where I want it to. If you don’t think the engine turned, just rotate the pump a bit to get it to drop in where it should be.

That said, if it doesn’t run, it’s easy to set TDC and stab the dizzy in - this is the way I would probably do it.

 

[mattcamp]

It can't really come straight out or go straight in, you have to turn it counter clockwise from where you want it to end up, maybe a quarter turn, maybe someone can chime in with the exact degrees. Because of the twist of the gear on the shaft it's like pushing a screw staight in, doesn't quite work that way. It can be a little tricky and it might be best to start with tdc.

 

[Super77]

It can't really come straight out or go straight in, you have to turn it counter clockwise from where you want it to end up, maybe a quarter turn, maybe someone can chime in with the exact degrees. Because of the twist of the gear on the shaft it's like pushing a screw staight in, doesn't quite work that way. It can be a little tricky and it might be best to start with tdc.

Yeah, I get that it twists in and out, but if neither the oil pump or the engine gear have rotated, it should just twist back to the old position (or 180 deg off the old position). It's really the slot in the oil pump that determines where it ends up. I just don't get what has moved and how.

 

[mattcamp]

Well when you pull it out the twitting of the shaft from the gear moves it so you can move it back a little with a long screwdriver and try it, it doesn't want to make sense, I know, I have done this dance a few times. It is a mindgame but you can't try to reason it out, you just gotta do it. I know I sound ridiculous. I hope that helps though.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

As he said ^^^ use a narrow flashlight and a long flat head to turn the slot BUT do it by the FSM. It’s way easier than thinking you’ve marked it well enough to just stab it in.
I’ve had mine out and done both. Far easier by the book.