Wobble in distributor ???

[MR.7DUSTER3]

We have a Mallory Unilite in the Duster, I noticed that it now has a slight wobble ,at first I thoght that it was loose but that not the case. I havent checked to see if the timing jumps around yet but has any body else had one of these that has developed this problem ?? Is it my dist. or the drive gear ?

Bob

 

[pishta]

distributor bushing, can get one and press it in (dont drive in) with press or threaded installer. Either buy from Mallory (unlikely) or have one made out of oillite or bronze bushing material, machine and ream to size. Might be able to knurl yours to get back in spec, not much lateral force on a unilite.

 

[67Dart273]

If you are talking about visible wobble of the distributor CASE this can be caused by a number of things---worn cam gear, worn slot in the dist. drive, bad block bushing, etc

It can be caused by wearing of the slot and tang of the dist. drive, on, the other, both

Bent dist. shaft, worn dist. bushings.

I'm afraid that, compared to other drive systems, the Mopar is somewhat deficient. GM has much better support for the dist drive, and even Ferds have a "pilot" shaft of sorts below the cam gear.

What would really improve Mopars would be either a better coupling (not the slot/ tang) for the dist, or even to make the entire distributor and intermediate shaft all one piece.

Of course now we have crank triggers......

 

[MR.7DUSTER3]

Motor ,cam and distributor only have 1500 miles on them, intermediate shaft was original so I dont know age of it. Possibly that is bent or worn ?


Bob

 

[pishta]

hamburger used to make a hex drive adapter for Mopar's slots. Take distributor out and spin shaft to see if its bent, then do same with oil pump drive. how the heck would you bend the oil pump drive to the point that it shows on the gear end? Seized pump?

 

[67Dart273]

Remove the dist, press down HARD in the slot with a big screwdriver, and see if you can detect any "wiggle." "Screw" the gear up out of the cam helix by applying light pressure with the screwdriver, turn CW, I believe, for a small block. Once you get the gear out of the cam gear, again wiggle the shaft, looking for wiggle.

Inspect the drive tang and slot carefully for burs and damage.

 

[Bulldozer]

seems to me if the oil pump drive shaft was bent, it would eat the cam drive gear and/or the oil pump drive gear and would chew up the drive slot on the pump drive and/or the tang on the distributor, but not necessarily bend the distributor shaft. like 67 said ,check the intermediate shaft bushing.it would be messed up if the distributor shaft was bent, i would think. i would first stick a different distributor in there and crank the engine around to rule out the distributor itself and inspect everything while you are in there.

 

[MR.7DUSTER3]

What could bend a dist shaft, Im still at work and havent had a chance to try any of these suggestions yet . When we put the engine back in the car after it was painted the dist was put in 180 degrees out and cranked several times before we noticed that it was wrong. Could a backfire bend the shaft. ?

Bob

 

[MR.7DUSTER3]

bump

 

[67Dart273]

What could bend a dist shaft, Im still at work and havent had a chance to try any of these suggestions yet . When we put the engine back in the car after it was painted the dist was put in 180 degrees out and cranked several times before we noticed that it was wrong. Could a backfire bend the shaft. ?

Bob

Probably would have to be dropped. If I'm the one that mentioned that, it's just a possibility. Don't fixate on it. I think it's much more likely worn bushings, either in the dist or the block bushing, or wear in the tang/ slot

It's just not that expensive to round up another drive gear and or distributor and try one/ the other, etc.

 

[Bulldozer]

i would start with a different distributor first and see if that is the problem. i just dont see how a pump drive shaft or gear could cause a wobble unless there is something more serious going on, and if there was ,you would have a very noticable warning.