idiot ? - distributor hold do9wn how

[neverwinter]

i have the weird large circlip thing off but not sure how it goes back on? right nw i have about a 1/4 gap between the distrib body - the widest round part - and the intake manifold. this doesnt seem right but i cant get the distrib to seat anymore. i can get the circlip under the distrib but that seems dumb as the distrib will pull right out?

[63ChevC10]

Without knowing what engine you have, it sounds to me like the distributor isn't splined into your oil pump. Have you tried wiggling the rotor back and forth to see if it'll seat all the way?

[jchav62]

Did you pull the distributor out? The distibutor must sit flush and it will do in only two positions. Pull the cap of a rotate the rotor until the dist. fall flush. It may or may not be 180 off. If it is off, it will back fire the the carb. You'll then be able to install the hold down bracket.

[neverwinter]

got it!

[1963c-10]

The "funny clip" actually goes on top of the dist. Must be a v8, the 6cyl dist isn't anywhere near the intake.

[awbrown]

easiest way to get the dist. back in is to have someone hold it down while you bump the starter ,provided you didnt pull it up out of the splines and rotate it when the hold down was off....

[TopFuel1966]

If the distributor driven gear is engaged with the drive gear on the camshaft but the hold down flange won't go all the way down flush with the manifold surface that means that the end of the driven gear is not engaging with the oil pump drive shaft. It's a 180 degree slotted drive so there's only two ways it will engage. You may need to reach down into the hole with a long screwdriver and adjust the pump shaft so that the little bar in the end of the gear on the distributor will properly engage the slot in the shaft.

[neverwinter]

yep got it sorted!! thanks all very much. now just need to figure out the throttle linkage setup for the new edlebrock and the old 64 rod type setup. any pointers?>