Thread: Help with HEI install

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I have been trying to install an HEI distributor in a sbc for the last couple of hours and I can get the base of the distr. to about a quarter of an inch from the intake manifold and then no more. I have wiggled and jiggled. I have pulled the distr. out and tried again but each time it gets to about a quarter of an inch and no more. Does anybody have any tips to get this thing in all the way? The oil pump driveshaft is the fancy ARP one and I have a long screwdriver that I have been useing to turn it alittle hoping the distr. will slide down all the way. Do I need to position the slot in the oil pump driveshaft to where I think the rotor will be once it meshes with the cam gear? The distr. didn't come out of this engine, I borrowed it from a dead 305in my garage and it worked ok but the oil in the 305 started to smell alot like gasoline and it just wasn't running very well. The motor that I'm trying to put the distr. into has number one cylinder at 10 degrees btdc. I need to win this battle so I can break-in this motor.

Is this HEI hitting the intake manifold some where . If not then keep trying to line up the oil pump drive to the distributor . One way that I did see it done was . To crank the engine and push the distributor down at the same time . It will drop down when you do this if all other way fail .

Tango nailed it. Turn the engine over and it will drop right in.

Drop the distributor into what you assume to be the correct position. The gears will engage okay, but it won't drop down that last 1/4". Hold a firm downpressure on the distributor, and have somebody keep "bumping" the starter---when the oilpump drive gear lines up with the tang on the end of the distributor shaft, it will drop into place.

Give it a good cussin'!!!

That's always worked for me.

Thanks to all for the suggestions. It dropped that last quarter of an inch on the second bump of the starter. And the first starter bump was just a demostration to my son so that he understood what a starter bump was. Thank you.

I am glad that it work out for you . And that your son was there to see how to do this . COOL

I usually eyeball the pump shaft, and guesstimate the amount of spin the gear will take on its way down. Guesstimation complete, it will usually drop on in. I'm kind of anal about postion #1 ( even though the distributor does not care ) so I like to get it right the first time. Sometimes a wrench on the harmonic balacer will encourage it to drop on in.