Distributor Housing Bottom Slot -- purpose ?

[John D.]

Re: Distributor Housing Bottom Slot -- purpose ?

You didn't ask but this slot doesn't typically appear on the 57 to 65 Fuel Injection distributors. JD

[Clem Z.]

Re: Distributor Housing Bottom Slot -- purpose ?

Here's some more meat to chew on: First two thumnails are from the '65 interim shop manual, or '66 Chevrolet Overhaul Manual -- same dwgs). Those with access to the '67 OH manual please report if the dwgs differ in the critical area of the rear cam bearing, with the '351' block.

3rd and 4th thumnails are shots down the distributor hole in my 396 May '65 #3855961 block, which should be the same as the L78 '962' and the 1966 '842' block, insofar as the oiling design uses both use a grooved rear cam journal and bearing. Notice the copper wire I threaded thru the passenger side lifter(s) oil header hole. I've circled the two holes that are exposed to the oil annulus in the distributor housing. In the last pic, I shone a light up the oil pump drive shaft hole, with the two block oil annulus holes again circled.

Next, we have to figure out which of those two holes are blocked/restricted by the partially filled annulus of the disr. housing, and its effect on the left/right lifter oil headers.

neither one of the holes can be blocked as they are the oil feed holes for the passenger side valve train. when the distributor with the partial oil passage groove is installed correctly the oil can pass on thru to the lifters and valve train

[John H.]

Re: Distributor Housing Bottom Slot -- purpose ?

neither one of the holes can be blocked as they are the oil feed holes for the passenger side valve train. when the distributor with the partial oil passage groove is installed correctly the oil can pass on thru to the lifters and valve train

Which would also imply that if the distributor housing with the partial annulus is incorrectly oriented (say, by more than 45* or so), the passenger side lifters aren't going to get any oil. Correct? That's probably why they abandoned the partial annulus and the 031 housing (with the 360* annulus) was released to Service all SB and BB applications, so that mistake couldn't be made.

[Clem Z.]

Re: Distributor Housing Bottom Slot -- purpose ?

Which would also imply that if the distributor housing with the partial annulus is incorrectly oriented (say, by more than 45* or so), the passenger side lifters aren't going to get any oil. Correct? That's probably why they abandoned the partial annulus and the 031 housing (with the 360* annulus) was released to Service all SB and BB applications, so that mistake couldn't be made.

a distributor with a vacuum advance would be hard to install incorrectly but the ball bearing distributor with no vacuum advance could be installed that the oil could not flow