Should a Distributor do this

As I was helping my buddy get his SBC ready to march the path of victory in his RPU I noticed sumpin strange. When I was dropping the Dual point distributor in I had the cap off and the rotor on. I would lift the unit up enough to rotate the gear drive and drop it back in, looking for the oil pump tang and a good TDC loction fer the Dist. Well I noticed that even with the gear drive meshed the rotor turned freely. So I took the Dist. out and held the gear and gently tried turning the rotor, and sure enough it moved without the slightest effort. I looked in the casing and saw a screw and small bent tab that holds the brass/copper? rotor holder down. Does this also tighten it enough to keep it from moving indipendantly from the gear drive. Is this spussed to happen, I was under the impression ya DONT want yer rotor moving unless the gear drive is doin the moving. What the hay is wrong with this thing, anyone worked on these suckers?
Cheers, Justin

there will be some movement - the mechanical advance and possible hte vac advance will let things move - the mech advance will have springs that pull it back into posistion when you let go of the rotor.

Yeah I was affraid you would say that. That has been my experience w/ other Dist. But this one just rotates freely 360 with no recoil or resistance.

Sorry , but that one's done.

Mebe, rebuildable? Spose it depends on the damage huh?

Is it the upper part turning or is the whole shaft turning,. but not the gear? If it is the whole shaft you have broken roll pin in the gear to the shaft.:HMMM:

Oh Oh, it's midnight. Time for this ol Geezer to take his tired butt to bed.

It's the upper, the shaft wont turn if you grab the gear. The bronze piece that locks the rotor turns freely when ya hold the gear. Stayin up late, hooked on the CHR, a true Gear'zer :LOL:

I'm gonna tear into it this weekend, and see whats up with it.

Is the Dist a Mallory?

Yes, a dual point.
Didn't get a chance to tear it appart, as I spent the weekend hiding from the sun drilling out my upper n lower ball joints on the MII fer new bolt in's.