Distributor gear roll pin. Need some expert guidance.

[kcmash]

Well I am looking at options.

Distributor.  Should I buy from a local parts house, a new one from CJ or NPD, or see if Ford will sell one.  Are the ones from the Mustang vendors good enough for street use?

Oil pump,  CJ has Sealed Power brand, while OReilly has Melling.   With all the restored crap on the car looking so clean, I am going to go in from the bottom.  I also sold my engine stand and hoist a few years ago, so I don’t have those tools.

kcmash

 

[c9zx]

I'd look at Oreilly's under the Spectra Prime name (still made by Rich Porter Technology I think). It is a completely new distributor and includes cap and rotor. The curve won't be exactly what you want but can be recurved. A lot better part than anything from Cardone, A.K.A. "Car Done". Chuck

 

[clevelandcoupe]

Valvoline VR-1 oil is also made in 10-30 and 10-40. You will need to special order it at most chain auto parts stores. My local speed shop has all the mentioned grades on the shelf.

Thanks, Jay

 

[mjlan]

I had this happen to me using a high-volume pump. Last time I used a high-volume pump.

I would get hold of Scotty at Parkland Performance Auto and have him set you up with a new distributor. He will set up  the advance curve for your engine combination. He could probably also double-pin the drive gear for you but you would have to confirm as I am just guessing on that one:

http://reincarnation-automotive.com/

 

[Stanglover]

I had this happen to me using a high-volume pump. Last time I used a high-volume pump.

I would get hold of Scotty at Parkland Performance Auto and have him set you up with a new distributor. He will set up  the advance curve for your engine combination. He could probably also double-pin the drive gear for you but you would have to confirm as I am just guessing on that one:

http://reincarnation-automotive.com/

That's an interesting link Matt, Looks like someone to keep in mind for the future.

 

[Vicus]

Before strengthening the roll pin please keep in mind that this is designed to break if the oil pump gets stuck, to avoid further disaster to your engine when it runs out of lubrication. 

Just my 2 ct.

Cheers Frank 

 

[Don C]

So here are my problems.

1) Neither O Reilly or Napa have the roll pins.  They have some generic cad plated stuff but nothing strong.

2) The gear I have has 2 sets of cross drilled holes that look different sizes and it slips on.

3). I have been running the 20w 50 because that was the only weight they had on the shelf in high zinc.

The good news,  I have a spare dizzy shaft with a clean bore in it.

So I am wondering this.  With the poorly drilled holes and poorly fitting gear( non press fit) from Rock Auto combined with the 20w 50 enough to be the lethal combination.  I am unsure if my pump is high volume or not.  In other words should I do the following.

A) Rebuild the dizzy with a new shaft , gear and double wall roll pin.

B) Switch to a 10w 40 and use a zinc additive.

C) Test drive to see if that puts my oil pressure back down to the middle of the gauge range.

View attachment 51974

It appears they drilled the gear correctly, but didn't mark the shaft so they would also drill the shaft at 90°.

I would temporarily install a mechanical gauge under the hood and see what pressures you are actually getting. Middle of the gauge on stock gauges is meaningless. You don't know what other tricks the previous owner did, like maybe shimming the bypass spring in the pump, to increase pressure. People hear that Clevelands have an oiling problem and over-react. The stock system is fine for non-racing use. During my upcoming rebuild all I plan on doing is installing restrictor cam bearings and lifter bushings with standard volume and pressure oil pump.

 

[kcmash]

So I am the one who assembled this engine and put it in.  I bought the setup from another individual and I cannot recall if it is a high volume oil pump or not.

If I do a mechanical gage, what pressure shows me it’s a high pressure versus a standard flow and pressure?

Right now I have a new distributor on the way and a new melling oil pump with plans of going to something I know.  Looks like using too high pressure will lead to unreliability and a lot of expense.

kcmash

 

[Don C]

The stock pump supplies 50 to 70 psi with hot oil at 2000 RPM. The pump you buy should give the pressure bypass spec.

 

[Stanglover]

Unless I'm wrong, a High Volume pump means just that, higher volume, not necessarily higher pressure, i.e. the oil is moving faster through the engine.

My Melling M84A standard pump reads 70 psi hot. I did not yet have a mechanical oil pressure when the H/V pump was in there.

 

[kcmash]

Good point, but if the pump does not have a pressure bleed valve, higher volume in the same downstream flow orifice will result in a pressure increase.  That is why there is more load on the drive gear at the distributor because the pump sees the back pressure.

I dread changing pumps, but I see the risk of leaving the unknown pump in place as too high a risk.  This last pin break has driven me to a tow bill, a new distributor, new mufflers since the old ones blew up.  So I want to get to a reliable driver not a “keep a spare part” risky driver.

kcmash

 

[tony-muscle]

This is a good link on how to recurve a Duraspark distributor:

http://www.reincarnation-automotive.com/Duraspark_distributor_recurve_instructions_index.html

 

[Stanglover]

Good point, but if the pump does not have a pressure bleed valve, higher volume in the same downstream flow orifice will result in a pressure increase.  That is why there is more load on the drive gear at the distributor because the pump sees the back pressure.

I dread changing pumps, but I see the risk of leaving the unknown pump in place as too high a risk.  This last pin break has driven me to a tow bill, a new distributor, new mufflers since the old ones blew up.  So I want to get to a reliable driver not a “keep a spare part” risky driver.

kcmash

Ah yes, I see what you mean. Physics was not one of my strongest subjects.

 

[kcmash]

This is a good link on how to recurve a Duraspark distributor:

http://www.reincarnation-automotive.com/Duraspark_distributor_recurve_instructions_index.html

Nice article, and if I could find the Duraspark for the $69 in the article I would do it.  I am finding $260 for just the Dizzy that needs recurve.
 

kcmash

 

[Don C]

More Information for CARDONE 842893 (rockauto.com)

More Information for AUTOLINE D4034 (rockauto.com)

 

[kcmash]

Thanks for the links Don.  Not being familiar with Duraspark technology, is there a coil pack that you need to buy to go with it, or what does the pigtail plug into, the big silver spark module?

kcmash

 

[tony-muscle]

I got the Spectra. But I paid a lot less than that back two years ago.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001DAHM2K?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

 

[Don C]

The distributor plugs into the control module, a separate connector runs from the module to the coil. 

There's a wiring diagram in the 6th post here:

Help!! - Engine, Transmission, Drive Line, Etc - 7173Mustangs.com

 

[kcmash]

Drained the oil and swept the pan bottom with a magnet on a wand.

Good news I found the broken roll pin pieces.  Bad news I have no idea what else I found.

 

[kcmash]

You can take the oil pan out without removing the engine. I did it not long ago. However, you need to lift the engine a couple inches. I did it by jacking on the oil pan bolts with a piece of wood. After lifting the engine use a 2x4 between engine and mount. You can also lower the sway bar for more room. Get the oil pan down and replace the pump. It is tricky to get the oil pan up and making sure it seals.

Tony,  

I am kinda stuck here.  When you raised your block, how exactly did you support it?  Did you release the motor mounts from the block and put a spacer block there, or release the crossing bolts and put a block between upper and lower motor mounts?  Kinda stuck at this point.

kcmash