Distributor seating
 

Should there be a gap like this one when the distributor is properly seated or does the flange sit on the block??:hh:

Re: Distributor seating
 

Nope it's supposed to sit all the way down. Did you turn the engine over at all when you pulled it out? If not, just try to pull it out and reseat it, could be a tooth off. If you did, roll the engine over to top dead center and get a long screw driver and turn the oil pump drive shaft just a few degrees at a time, until the distributor sits down in there properly. It needs to seat all the way into the oil pump drive slot. Then you will have to retime the engine. Make sure you aren't 180 out as well.

Re: Distributor seating
 

Darn that sucks...Thanks for the help. I'll get into it this weekend.:waah:

Re: Distributor seating
 

Re: Distributor seating
 

On the small block V8 there is an easier trick, if you have not disturbed the motor. When the distributor was removed the angle of the distributor gear turns the oil pump tang until it is almost lined up with the next tooth. Simply move the rotor one tooth counterclockwise, press down and with a small amount of resistance the distributor will drop all the way in. Installing the distributor one tooth off realigns the oil pump with the distributor, albeit in the wrong location. Just repeat the step all the way around the clock until the rotor is back pointing to the original location. This whole process only takes a few seconds.

I don't know if this will work on a six, because the tooth spacing may be far enough apart it doesn't help line up the oil pump. Since the visibility is so much better on a six, you might also try removing the distributor and aligning the oil pump with a large flat blade screwdriver.

Fyi, that is a factory two piece hold down clamp. The wire part is one piece and the saddle slips over the top, although some times they get stuck together. I had several on mid-60's Chevy cars. I didn't care for the design, as it tended to slip and was harder to install if the pieces separated during installation.

Re: Distributor seating
 

If the distributor is timed where you want it, you can rotate the engine over by hand until the the distributor shaft lines up with the oil pump driveshaft, and it will drop right down the rest of the way.

The original 230 inline six in my 64 C10 had that same distributor hold down clamp.

Re: Distributor seating
 

That's the one that was on there when I got it. Seems pretty sturdy.