Engine: Distributor will not enter into correct position

[skycar]

Hi to all here and thanks for any help and thoughts provided....... Once again I am in a dilemma.
I recently purchased a Unilite electronic distributor and I have had nothing but problems with it from the start.
I had the courage to drive the car (289 Hawk) a little further than around the block and once again it has left me stranded on the side of the road. After walking back home (2 Klm's) and getting the old distributor and all the tools required, I walked back to the car and got started to refit the old distributor. In the dark with a torch.
I started by removing the coil wires, rocker cover and then pulled the troublesome new distributor out.
Then to find top dead centre on number one, I turned the engine by key a few times until striking it lucky and getting it in the correct position.
This was done without a distributor in place.
I then attempted to drop the "old" distributor back into its position and it will not go more than half way in..... any other time it has just fallen all the way into its natural position without prompting. I tried to get to it to go in many times and I have given up (not wonting to cause damage) and therefor car is sleeping on the side of the road tonight away from home.
The gear drive is only just below the surface of the engine block, the first cast ring (dist housing) will not go into the block.
What have I done wrong and is it an easy fix ???
Regards Roger

[Bob Andrews]

You just haven't engaged the oil pump slot yet. Usually I put a downward pressure on the distributor and bump the starter. Once it drops in, reset #1 at TDC and assure that the rotor is pointing at #1 on the cap with the distributor about the center of its rotational travel. If it's not, pull up and repeat until you get it. It's not as hard as it sounds.

[skycar]

Thanks Bob for your reply, the whole main body (cast housing) of the distributor is sticking out of the block. I thought the drive slot for the oil pump is much lower than this ..... literally all of the distributor body casting is out of the block. Only the long shaft and drive gear have entered the block and stops when the first circular casting of the Dist body is nearly entering the block??

[JoeHall]

I think you will have better luck in daylight. The long shaft with the flat tip has to pass through a hole in the block and into the slot in the oilpump. It is hard enough to get the shaft into that hole in the daylight, let alone in the dark. Once that shaft is in the hole, the distributor should drop low enough to engage the gear teeth on the cam, with about 1/4" remaining to drop all the way down. What is stopping it at that point is, the end of the shaft is out of alignment with the slot in the oil pump. Then, as Bob said, you can bump the starter, to spin the distributor till it aligns with the pump and drops home.

It helps to have someone use their fingertips and push lightly on the top of the distributor while someone else bumps the starter. Better than the starter, use a wrench on the generator pulley nut, while squishing the fan belt around the pulley, to rotate the motor slowly. Or, if it is a stick tranny, put it in high gear and rock the car.

Also, before any of the above, be sure it is on #1 cylinder compression stroke. Maybe easiest would be to remove the #1 spark plug and put your finger on the hole, as is described many places in this forum. Even if you discover, after getting the distributor in, it is now out of time beyond the limits of rotating the distributor, you can dial it in by advancing or retarding the the plug wires. Hope you now what I mean by that. If not, will explain. Anyway, that should get the motor running and get you home.

I am not familiar with those distributors, but possibly the top is a little larger diameter, reducing clearance with the firewall, therefore even more challenging to line up.

On another note, why did you remove the distributor on the side of the road in the first place?
Hope this helps.

[skycar]

Thanks for the help here ...... all sorted, having daylight made the task very straight forward (easy).
Answer to your question Joe..... the car stopped with very little warning (again) with the new Electronic Distributor in it. NO spark at all.
My insurance states that the car is to be garaged at my home address...... not in a dodgy suburb on the side of the road.
I did my best to get the old Distributor back in the car, so it could sleep indoors beside me.
Things didn't work out as hoped that night, but all good now. (with the old Dizzy back in)