Disaster??? (Roll pin found in oil pan)

Pin for the distributor gear?

Peter,

Are you sure it's a roll pin and not a roller from a needle bearing?

If it's a true roll pin I'd go with distributor too. Maybe it was double pinned (as it should be) but the second pin was too small a diameter and came out?

A quick check pulling the dizzy should be easy enough to rule out or not.

Julian

It is a roll pin, and I shall remove the dizzy to check, and will come back with the results.

After lifting the rear main bearing cap to install the new seal, I am hoping that this 30K mile engine bearings are a-OK, the slightest sign of wear and I shall change them.
A job for next week.

Peter...

How did you get 30K miles on your car already?

Are those British miles? Isn’t each British mile approximately 1 League?

Rocky

Hello Rocky,

I know we are always about 20 years behind the Americans, but Leagues, we still count in Bushels though!

3840 had about 40K miles on it when I bought it.
I then found out it had a new engine at the
factory after 10K miles (No 4 valve dropped)
Hence the 30K, I haven't been far yet while doing my rolling Resto.

quote:

Maybe it was double pinned (as it should be) but the second pin was too small a diameter and came out?

woow now I am getting curious..as have NOT so far attached the NEW Steal gear to the distributor shaft. So my Question have a Motorcraft Distributor.
1) I have not seen anywhere the advise for TWO role pins ..please clarification
2) where do I get a new Role pin, best would be Summit any advise?
in europe we have pins which are only 320 degree and onla layer only so no real role pin..
please help...

Matthias

advice for setting the position of your new gear;

install the new gear on the shaft but intentionally leave it a little low on the shaft (there should be sufficient drag on the gear to keep it held in place)

now do a test fit install of the distributor with the gear loose & low on the shaft

INSTALL & TIGHTEN THE HOLD DOWN CLAMP as it will be when the distributor is in the engine for the last time & ready to drive

wave your magic wand

now remove the distributor and measure the minimum distance from the housing base flange to the bottom of the gear

this is your Total Interference Distance (TID)

now by measuring the distance from the tip of the shaft to the bottom of the gear you can set your Installed Height by moving the gear upward on the shaft by the amount you determine to prevent the gear from binding on the thrust surface in the block

it matters!

The roll pin holding the distributor gear on can fall out if not installed properly, make sure the gear is pinned correctly and is located according to the Ford specs, distance from top of distributor housing to the gear, this is critical.

Clearances

unfortunately some distributors that comply within the Ford & MSD spec still bind due to lack of clearance to the block thrust surface ... thus my suggestion to fit any new distributor / gear directly to the engine

Yeah it sucks but that's what's out there, been there done that found out the hard way & too late that my Mallory Unilite was binding. and that's another contributing factor to the DGRP phenomenon, severe drag caused by binding the dizzy under the hold down clamp. FWIW a dizzy will give no indication that there's no clearance until you snug the hold down clamp, it makes a big difference compressing the O ring

like i said YMMV, i can't say it any different. it's gotta be checked

too bad the old Cobra Lads site went down they had an excellent write-up about it

found the Cobra lads article,
http://www.twiddler.typepad.com/cobra_lads/page/6/