Ford conundrum???...

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^^^ It's not just the "cheapo" Chinese stuff either. I have a MSD 8595 billet ready to run dizzy with a 6AL box on the 390FE in my Fairlane. After I freshened up the motor I could not get the MSD dizzy to drop in all the way.. it was tight as heck. I suspected it shipped with the wrong gear installed as the stock dizzy still dropped right in. Several exchanges with MSD support they concluded "core shift" was my issue and wanted noting to do with me afterwards. I ordered the correct MSD gear and installed it.. the MSD dizzy dropped right in first try. I nearly sent them the factory installed gear with a tag that said.. "here's your core shift"...lol.
I definitely worked on Ford's that you had to put the distributor in and bump the starter to get the oil rod to flip around and center in the distributor so it would drop down all the way...
 
I definitely worked on Ford's that you had to put the distributor in and bump the starter to get the oil rod to flip around and center in the distributor so it would drop down all the way...

On the FE's, it's also common for the intake to have to centered with the dist before tightening everything down. It's one of the things I'm not looking forward to when I install my new heads, eventually.
 
I definitely worked on Ford's that you had to put the distributor in and bump the starter to get the oil rod to flip around and center in the distributor so it would drop down all the way...
Oh I know that dealeo... geesus do I know it... lol. I had to remove and reinstall my intake a few times to get it to seal correctly at the china rails.... on an FE that's not a lot of fun.

The issue was you could tell the dizzy was low enough that the oil pump drive shaft was engaged and not the problem.. it simply would not seat all the way down on the intake. Here is old and busted next to new hawtness... oil pump drive shaft at bottom.

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On the FE's, it's also common for the intake to have to centered with the dist before tightening everything down. It's one of the things I'm not looking forward to when I install my new heads, eventually.
I used the OEM dizzy to ensure the dizzy was centered in the hole on the intake before torquing down the bolts. Even using Right Stuff on the china rails you have enough time to center it up before it cures. Oh.. I also recommend to 86 the intake alignment pins. I installed an original unmolested Streetmaster on mine and it definitely would have been a no-go with those pins in the way.
 
Customer made it 8 miles before it stopped running.. had it towed home... Pulled the distributor.... Said no more china parts... :thumbsup:
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You know I was talking it over with my engine builder this morning just because it's such a head scratcher and he's a big Ford guy. We were talking about possibly the roll pin in the distributor gear sharing. He said he'd heard of it happening before and retiring it and then completely losing it about 300 miles further... The next time I get into that truck I do want to pull the distributor. Last night after head scratching and finally getting it running and it was getting late I just left it at that but asked him not to drive it very far...
Just curious are you still going to Ted?
 
Yup, nothing wrong with vintage used parts I say especially things that can be rebult... I had rebuilt my Federal power steering pump last year it was real affordable, cost of the kit plus PS fluid maybe 30 bucks.....
 
Was he able to fish the gear out? Did it do any other damage?
Yeah he got the gear out. That was the other picture he showed me LOL I think he had to pry it out of there... He needs to change the brake in oil anyways. I doubt if there's any other damage...
Is a customer that lives a half hour away so I'm not able to check up on him every time something happens..
 
Yup, nothing wrong with vintage used parts I say especially things that can be rebult... I had rebuilt my Federal power steering pump last year it was real affordable, cost of the kit plus PS fluid maybe 30 bucks.....
I like stock parts and places where I can put them as well but when you're doing a powder coated frame off restoration and there's every single aspect of every single part trying to hit the easy button for some things helps relieve the overwhelmeness. At the same time I don't encourage buying crucial parts from China...
Most of us have learned along the way...
And now he's learned his...
 
So I'm not an engine builder but is it possible your friend got some bad gas?
 
So I'm not an engine builder but is it possible your friend got some bad gas?
I guess bad gas is always possible. I'm not sure what that has to do with engine building? Or the problem of the Chinese gear coming off the distributor?...
 
I guess the first thing to do is change out the roll pin for a real one. lol
I had about a half hour long conversation with Ted(co-owner of Portland engine rebuilders) on this because it was a real conundrum for me? I just hadn't ran across this problem before... He said he ran across this one other time with a Pantera and it slipped and read locked itself and lasted about 300 miles before it gave away and left a guy on the road. They ended up just redrilling it bigger and putting a more hardened roll pin in and all was well.. it's what I recommended to my customer..
 
LOL that's a left field question...
I knew Ted was your machinist.
I guess Lead, Zed and Ted are different people. lol
Now I'm really mixed up because I thought Lead and Ted worked in the same shop.
 
LOL that's a left field question...
I didn't think it was a big deal, just wondering if you had him build it since you mentioned napa a while ago. Just wondering who the "ford guy" is since I know of one over here, no conspiracy here man lol.
 
This is why I don't want to run speedmaster cylinder heads, especially when both edelbrock and afr have cylinder heads made here in the states
What are you going to do put a cylinder head under each arm and run around the block with them!... If you run with factory heads you'll lose more weight.. your opinion would have 10 times more relevance if you actually had a Mopar... :poke: ...
I love you Dan get a car....
 
I didn't think it was a big deal, just wondering if you had him build it since you mentioned napa a while ago. Just wondering who the "ford guy" is since I know of one over here, no conspiracy here man lol.
My Ford guy is a ford guy by proxy.... He stumbled into this truck in eastern Oregon and probably got a great deal on it and for the last couple years as we've done a frame off restoration we figured out why he got such a good deal on it... He's actually in love with land cruisers....
 
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