How much vertical play should there be in the distributor drive shaft? There were no shims when I disassembled it and there is about .055 space between the gear and the body.
Normal. The sprial gear pulls down when engine is running.
That,s good to know Gene as I thought possibly a previous owner might have left out something. The pulling down makes sense as there is no wear on the distributor body.
You will also find that after installed the distributor fits loose in the block and usually can be wiggled around side ways.
Thanks Gene , that probably answers a question that I am sure would have been asked.