63 FI distributor question

[Rob M.]

I trial installed the distributor in my fresh engine today but it doesn't seem to go far enough in the engine to make the gasket flat against the ring (with the notch) on the manifold. Is there a trick I need to know about to install the distributor far enough in the engine???

regards,
Rob.

[Rob M.]

Re: 63 FI distributor question

BTW here a photo to point out what I mean:

[Timothy B.]

Re: 63 FI distributor question

Rob,

From the looks of your photo the distributor is not seated into the oil pump drive shaft.

Try to move the distributor rotor/shaft clockwise and see if it engages the pump shaft and seats flat. At that point you can lift the distributor just high enough to walk the oil pump shaft around to where the distributor is in the correct timing location.

[Dan H.]

Re: 63 FI distributor question

I use a long flat blade screw driver to move the oil pump slotted shaft a little until the dist. goes fully down. Always a good idea to note the position of the oil pump slot when you pull the distributor out for realignment.
Dan

[Michael G.]

Re: 63 FI distributor question

Rob,

This may save a little time:

1) lift the distributor out, noting the angular position of the rotor when it disengages the cam gear. (If your engine has #1 at TDC, this will be somewhere near #2 wire.)

2) examine the bottom of the distributor gear, you will find that the drive for the oil pump is slightly angularly displaced from the rotor. Note how much out of alignment it is (about 15 degrees counterclockwise on mine, I think)

3) with a flashlight, look down the distributor hole and note the angular position of the slot that the distributor's oil pump drive fits into, relative to the rotor position you noted in step 1.

4) insert a long, flat bladed screw driver down the distributor hole into oil pump slot and rotate it until it is mis-aligned about the same amount (as measured in step 2 - about 15 degrees) counterclockwise from the rotor position you noted in step one

5) re-insert the distributor at the position you removed it. As it rotates clockwise during engagement, you may need to "wiggle" it a bit to catch the oil pump slot)

Note: be careful to align both gaskets, the spacer, and the distributor slot with the small hole in the manifold, or the distributor will still sit proud of the manifold

[John D.]

Re: 63 FI distributor question

Rob, Your distributor spacer looks like it's too thin!!! Go measure the over all height of it.
Should be about .750 (3/4") high.

Watch buying some of the repro spacers as they are not concentric. They are not the same thickness thru out. Causes unexplained oil leaks. Use your micrometer to check them. Don't pay absorbant prices on ebay for NOS ones as there is a cheep repro that is dead nuts.

Don't know who out there in this world is the culprit making those thin distributor spacers. Seriously someone is selling them and they are causing lots of unnecessary phone calls. Or necessary. Now maybe Rob's distributor spacer is thick enough and he has other issues like the good Parsons said. JD

[Jim T.]

Re: 63 FI distributor question

Rob it has been done before, make sure your distributor gear on the bottom of the distributor is installed correctly.

[Stuart F.]

Re: 63 FI distributor question

"Dimple on the gear facing front with rotor positioned to number one". To me, all these screwdrivers and devices to align the oil pump are fine when the engine is out of the car or the car is a C-1. But if the engine is in the car, specially a C-2, this old man can't get into position to look down that hole very easily. I prefer the "walk around" method. Been doing it since 1955, and haven't missed once since I discovered it because I missed once then. You live and learn - it is foolproof.

Stu Fox

[Gary H.]

Re: 63 FI distributor question

If after doing all of the above, you still can't get it down you may have used a BB oil pump shaft. It's about a quarter inch longer than the small block one. Been there.