Oil pump driveshaft question

I have a question about the oil pump driveshaft on my 352. I pulled the distributor out and I noticed the driveshaft was stuck to the distributor. It popped off and feel back to were it looks like it should be. I fished it out with a magnet and checked to see if it would pull out completely. It didnt so Im assuming the clip is still holding it in. My question is should the driveshaft be loose and pull out like that? It pulls out a few inches and then stops. I put everything back together and drove around the block, now Im having a no start problem. Its acting like the battery is dead so Im hoping the pump didnt stop.

I do have to say that a Ford engine oil pump drive shaft is a PITA. Yes, a 352 drive shaft will pull out of the oil pump. Yes, it will end up in the pan if not careful (been there, done that on 'FE' Fords, Windsors as late as September and 385's).

Your first check - pull the distributor cap and see if the rotor is turning. If so, you most likely have a timing issue. Second check, are you getting spark (you can reverse these checks of course:D)

If not turning or no spark, the driveshaft is most likely NOT seated in the oil pump. There is only about a half inch of shaft in the pump and while it might appear to be seated and the distributor installed correctly, it isn't. Yes, you MIGHT be able to reseat it, but I would pull the pan and replace the driveshaft with an SVT or ARP HD version and install a new clip just to make sure you don't have a gouged shaft fail in high cycle fatigue while driving in East Nowhere, Nevada on a Sunday afternoon.

Do you have oil pressure????If you do, its back in the pump---if not, maybe it ain't

Hard start----why were you taking the distributor out????

The distributor will turn whether the oil pump shaft is in or not. The only indicator of it not being in place is the oil pressure, if there is any, it's in. The hard cranking could be caused by too much advance. To be sure it's not timing, pull the coil wire and hit the starter. If it still doesn't turn over good, you just might have big problems.

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Originally Posted by oddball4x4

I have a question about the oil pump driveshaft on my 352. I pulled the distributor out and I noticed the driveshaft was stuck to the distributor. It popped off and feel back to were it looks like it should be. I fished it out with a magnet and checked to see if it would pull out completely. It didnt so Im assuming the clip is still holding it in. My question is should the driveshaft be loose and pull out like that? It pulls out a few inches and then stops. I put everything back together and drove around the block, now Im having a no start problem. Its acting like the battery is dead so Im hoping the pump didnt stop.

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When you say acting like the battery is dead, do you mean you turn the ignition key and no sound, nothing happens, or it barely turns over. Even if your shaft wasn't seated, the chance a engine would seize due to oil failure for such a short time seems odd. I'm guessing either your starter is going or you have a bad ground, that is of course if you actually don't have a low or dead battery, due to some other cause. Was your engine running fine prior to all of this? I.e. a daily driver? Why did you pull the distributor in the first place. I wouldn't pull the pan right away(I hate pulling the pan!) as long as you have oil pressure, your ok there. Try to hand crank the engine with a wrench. You should be able to turn it over, unless you've got killer compression, in which case remove the spark plugs and hand turn it over. If you can turn it over, your probably ok in the major problem department.
The first place I'd go is make sure your battery is charged. Next check your grounds and clean your terminals, if these two things are good and you can turn your engine by hand, it should at least crank with the starter. If not, it may be a relay or your starter. Gives us more info!

If you can pull the shaft up "a few inches" it's in upside down. The clip is supposed to hold it down in the pump with only a fraction of an inch of play. The odds of it dropping back into place are slim. You haven't said whether you still have oil pressure or not.