Re: Distributor Troubles - 65 Rambler - How many AMC listers does it take...

[Jerry Casper <gremlingts@xxxxxxxxx>]

--- Brian Hagen <brian.hagen@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Ok...but how come I cant move it again?  If i try to
> turn the "key" at the 
> top of the distributor it doesnt move with my
> power... so how did wigglin it 
> out do it?
> 
> Just askin...

   It moved once the distributor was pulled out
enought to disengage the teeth. It actually ROTATES
coming out of the hole, as the teeth are disengaging.
Once the gear teeth mesh again, you can't turn it by
hand.
  Brian, you have to remember a few things when
removing/reinserting a distributor. The gear teeth are
cut at a 45 degree angle or more...that's how much
you're off, right? When you made your mark on the
valve cover, that's great...but the top rotor TURNS as
you're removing the distributor, as the gears have to
move that 45 angle to come out and apart...the teeth
aren't straight up and down, remember, so the gear has
to move sideways some, meaning the shaft has to turn,
to disengage from the camshaft gear. Clear as mud so
far? 
  SO, when you go to put it back IN, the rotor must be
pointing about 45 degrees away from your original
mark, THEN 2 things must happen - 1) the oil pump must
engage the tang on the distributor shaft end, and 2),
the helical gears must reengage, and slide past one
another to seat, so the shaft of the distributor will
rotate the opposite way as it's going all the way down
to seat. Sometimes the oil pump tang is differently
spaced than the one you took out ( in relation to the
roll pin that holds the gear on ), or if you're
putting a new distributor in, it could be in a
different spot than the old one in relation to the
rotor line-up slot. Either way, doesn't really matter,
the IMPORTANT thing is to get it back to your original
mark...and that may mean playing with it some by
dropping in the block half-way and spinning it some
after it engages the oil pump but BEFORE the gears
mesh. If it gets off even ONE tooth, it won't line up
perfectly with your original mark on the valve cover.
So, it's not an exact science, you have to fiddle with
it, but it's no real mystery. Just pull it back out
some, then reinsert it, and watch the top rotor turn,
and determine which way it is turning, CW or CCW to
the mark. THen make sure it's  45 degrees off your
mark in the OPPOSITE direction when trying to
reinsert, so the shaft turns to the correct position
when fully seated. That should get it back to where it
was. If the distributor won't fully seat, then the oil
pump tang isn't engaged right. Just keep playing with
it, you can't hurt anything , unless you beat on it in
frustration. :) Just keep your cool, and it'll
eventually go where you want it to. GOod luck!

Jerry Casper
17 AMCs in Virginia


		
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