distributor drive gear

[nick Godridge]

Happy new year!
   
   Can anybody tell me if it can be replaced without removing the engine from the car. Maybe via the sump?
   
   Changed the oil yesterday and found a piece of what I assume to be the drive gear for oil pump and distributor.
   
   Happy days.
   
   Nick G

[Superarnie Mk2]

I'm no expert Nick, but having just recently built my Ford 5.0 engine for my Superblower  the oil pump drive shift can be placed down into the oil pump via the distributor location hole and then the dizzy will drop down onto the shift. That said  I would be a little worried about all the broken metal particles floating around the bottom end  To take the sump off is an engine out job  I think.
   Regards
   Gary

[silty]

Yes.  It's a fairly easy job to pull the distributor and examine or change the drive gear.  The drive gear is shrunk and/or pinned onto the distributor shaft
   
   Be aware that the oil pump drive shaft is 'loose' in the block and not mechanically attached to either the distributor shaft or the oil pump.  The drive shaft can be lightly stuck to the distributor shaft and as you begin to remove the distributor the drive shaft can release and then fall back into into the sump.  When I pulled my distributor the shaft did fall back, but not into the sump although I could see that being possible.
   
   While you're at it, consider replacing the low quality original drive shaft with an aftermarket alternative (see Real Steel).  Only a few pounds and eliminates the threat of a sheared shaft and no oil pressure.
   
   Replacing the distributor and aligning the oil pump drive is a bit of a knack but nowadays Google is your friend.  Youtube, forums etc have been including guidance on how to pull/replace 289/302 distributors for years.
   
   Good luck

[Superarnie Mk2]

Nick, having dwelled on my earlier post  I seem to remember that the drive shift has a sprung star type washer fitted to the shift which I think, again from memory, prevents the shift sliding up and out of the pump. The issue here is that you may not be able to pull th shaft up and through the dizzy hole and of course you will not be able to apply the Spring washer on the new shaft and drop it down. I may be wrong but that thought is rattling around in my head.

[silty]

You WILL be able to pull the distributor out of the block, no issue whatsoever.  The retaining device is on the oil drive shaft and is designed to keep it located on the oil pump when folks pull the distributor.  The locating device cannot be relied upon as it can fail over time, simply be ineffective from day one, or may have been omitted during the engine (re) build as it serves no purpose if the engine is being rebuilt on a bench with the sump off.
   
   As above, give it a Google.  The Yanks have been pulling distributors out of SBF ever since the 1960's  - and it's far from rocket science.

[westcott]

Removing the distributor needs 5 minutes. Before you remove the dizzy (US short for distributor) try to turn the engine until the damper marks and ignition indicator are at "0" or 10° before TDC (Top Dead Center). In this position take a sharp small chisel or some other tool and scribe or stamp a mark at the distributor shaft and engine top where both parts met. This allows you to find a close to perfect position for the distributor after changing the gear. Remove the distributor cap and mark the position of the distributor rotor tip on the surrounding aluminium base. This mark allows you to find the correct rotor shaft position during the assembly.
   
   To remove the distributor after doing the above mentioned just remove the nut and clamp at the shaft lower position. Carefully rotate and pull out the distributor, done
   
   The rebuild with a new gear needs a lot of attention and a bit of experiance with distributor gear change. The gear for a EFI Distributor is arround 60 USD, a first timer will need more then a hour rework time and the chance to bend, or destroy the new gear or the shaft is high.
   The gear is pressed onto the shaft and secured by a roll pin. Even if you are able to install the new gear the holes for the pin in shaft and gear will not line up and you need to drill a new hole through the shaft.
   
   The hight/position of the new gear on the shaft is critical and if not adjusted correctly will cause very fast wear or binding between gear and engine block, that will end up in an destroyed distributor gear and camshaft gear.....
   
   So most of the times a new distributor is easier to install for a distributor newbie. :-)