Ever seen this before?

[Bamamav]

Here's a short vid of my distributor wiggling. Never saw one do this before, I'm guessing a warped shaft. Trying to see if the ebay seller will honor their one year warranty.

DSCF1318 by Bobby Atkins, on Flickr

Click on DSCF and it will load it on flickr

 

[Tripper]

That happened on my tractor & it was because the clip that holds the cap down wasn't doing it's job. I bent it a lil... problem solved! Does the engine run fine otherwise? Probably not a warped shaft but that is possible but maybe a worn bearing?!? [S

BoB

 

[Bamamav]

Tripper, it's a little hard to see, but the entire unit is moving, not just the cap. When you look at the base where it goes in the block, you can see the shaft wiggling, and you can see oil bubbling under it.

Yeah, it starts at nothing and runs great! I'm concerned it won't last long though wiggling like that.

 

[Old Iron]

The shaft is bent

 

[Bamamav]

The shaft is bent

Thanks Old Iron for confirming what I thought.

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

The whole bloody thing is waggin' around... I wasn't expecting that!

Why does it leak at the base? Is it loose in the bore? Could it be riding tight on top of the pump shaft?

I'm not disagreeing with Old Iron for a minute, just stunned and doubly curious to see how bad the shaft is...

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[offroadrolls]

I'd pull the dizzy out clamp it in a vice and turn it by hand with a dial indicator on the end opposite the end I was turning. I'd think that would verify it being bent.

 

[26Troadster]

had one do it on a 300 cid ford, it got worst and then it eat the gear off the dist. shaft. don't know if it got the cam or not cause the truck was totaled and we kept driving it. as a matter the ranger i drive is totaled due to a hail storm years ago. offroad got it and if you need a indicator let me know.

 

[Bamamav]

The whole bloody thing is waggin' around... I wasn't expecting that!

Why does it leak at the base? Is it loose in the bore? Could it be riding tight on top of the pump shaft?

I'm not disagreeing with Old Iron for a minute, just stunned and doubly curious to see how bad the shaft is...

.

Dr C, I didn't put a gasket under it, didn't even think about it until I saw it leaking. I've never had one leak without a gasket, so it didn't cross my mind. It's not loose, it sit in just fine, you can't move it sideways by hand, turns easily when clamp is loose. I suppose it could be sitting on the pump shaft, but it sits down on the block, no gaps. It actually went in easier than the points dist I took out. O rings might not be big enough.

It looks like it's riding the cam gear up, then back down. I was shocked when I saw it, too! I know it won't last like that. I'm not going to run it much.

I sent a link to the video to the eBay seller to look at. I hope they know what they're looking at. Supposed to be warrantied for a year, so maybe they'll just send me another one. If not, I'm out $50. I figure though they will make it right, they don't want eBay and paypal to get ahold of them.

 

[Old Iron]

I'm not disagreeing with Old Iron for a minute, just stunned and doubly curious to see how bad the shaft is...

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No problem, I never take a discussion that way
I'm also curious to know what the deal is too [P[P[P

 

[Burgerman]

Also curious. Have not seen such a wobble before. Agree with the bench exam suggestion. Any way to see down the hole with a light and examine the drive gear or feel it for play [S

 

[Bamamav]

Also curious. Have not seen such a wobble before. Agree with the bench exam suggestion. Any way to see down the hole with a light and examine the drive gear or feel it for play [S

Drive gear is the cam. Didn't do this afaik with the points dist or the previous Duraspark.

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

No problem, I never take a discussion that way

Good! [cl [cl


Looking forward to your findings, Bama... looks like the tail is wagging the dog... if the shaft isn't bent, maybe the gear is drilled off center? [S

On the positive, looks like the carb works! [cl

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[Bamamav]

Yeah, it's funny, dang thing runs great! I'm scared not for long though, something would wear out quick like that. I've got to replace some freeze plugs while it's out, so I'm thinking about re-ringing it and some new bearings, timing chain and sprockets, and gaskets. Should last a long time if I do that.

 

[Old Iron]

"Looking forward to your findings, Bama... looks like the tail is wagging the dog... if the shaft isn't bent, maybe the gear is drilled off center?"

Another good thought!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Bamamav]

After a week corresponding with the eBay seller, who must be in Hong Kong instead of KY like the eBay location says, it looks like they are sending me another distributor to replace that one. So maybe next week I will have it in hand and I can swap it in and see how it does.

I got to thinking, I wonder if the O rings are too small? You know I said it went in a lot easier that the old points distributor, the O rings should fit snug in the hole and seal the shaft, if they were too small that might let it rock a little and let the oil seep out at the base. Think I'll measure them when I pull it out.

Anyway, this will give me a spare cap, rotor, and module, which, if purchased separately, cost about as much as an entire distributor!

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

I got to thinking, I wonder if the O rings are too small? You know I said it went in a lot easier that the old points distributor, the O rings should fit snug in the hole and seal the shaft, if they were too small that might let it rock a little and let the oil seep out at the base. Think I'll measure them when I pull it out.

I wondered the same when I saw the leak. Aside from the O rings, I'd be interested to know if the housing is under size...

[P

.

 

[Bamamav]

Got my replacement distributor today. Got out my digital caliper and measured it, the other HEI, and the points distributor, all three measured the same! Housing, O ring, everything was dead nuts the same. Only difference I could see was the gap at the bottom of the housing was larger than the new HEI and the points dist. I mean, were talking a huge difference, probably 1/16" or more. But the shaft didn't seem to move up and down any more than the others?[S Only thing I can guess is the shaft might have been too long between the bottom of the housing and the gear, I didn't think to measure that.

Anyways, put in the new replacement, played with the timing by ear, and it runs like a sewing machine, no more wiggle![cl And reverse came back, but still no drive. TV linkage had come off the carb linkage, but it still won't even budge in any forward position, only reverse catches. Something probably stuck or clogged inside.

Thinking my oil pressure gauge is bad, too. Only goes up to 25lbs now, never changes with RPM. It was reading 50 lbs when it was cold, about 10 hot idling, but would jump up to 45 or 50 at 4000 rpm. Got another I'm going to try and see what it says.

So, until I get money to fix the trans, it's still gonna sit. Got some body work to do and some sanding, so plenty to keep me busy when I go back to work. Truck was supposed to be ready today, but something wasn't right and they said it would be tomorrow. I'm ready. I've enjoyed this month off, that is until the money ran out!

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

Glad you got the ignition... straightened... out. [cl

I hope your pressure gauge is shot... wishing you some good luck!

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[Bamamav]

Yeah, DR C, I'm thinking, I've got to pull it all out anyway, and I think I have a freeze plug or two leaking but it might be head gaskets. While I have it out, I might as well go into it and rering and new bearings and gaskets, that way I'll know what I have. I don't think it has ever been apart, the intake had Ford gaskets on it, looked OEM to me, so maybe a quick hone job and slap it all back together wouldn't be a bad thing. Thought about upping the cam a little, too, while it was apart, until I priced roller cams! Geez Louise, I have gave less for running engines than a roller cam costs now!

I figure I can do that for another $500 or so, so $1500 for both engine and transmission built and I have basically a new car. But you know how the snowball effect goes, you see this you want to change, that makes something else look bad so you gotta change that, yada, yada, yada.