VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 1928 distributor

I have not posted in a while, but I am still working on my 28 engine that is in my 21 Speedster. I have read Schools in Session thru and thru, printed off a large part of it but I am having a time trying to get the distributor to fit correctly in the block. Is there anything between the block and the bottom of the distributor other than the advance control plate? It seems like the gear on the distributor is too far down and is almost below the cam gear. It has been frustrating trying to get it in when it just doesn't seem right. If there is a spacer or bearing in there, how thick is it. Thanks in advance for your help, I'd like to get back to it and get this engine running.

just a crazy question, you do have your oil pump in place and locked in with the side bolt?

The oil pump has a slot on its top shaft and you may have to use a screwdriver to align the oil pump to connect to the distributor.

There is also a washer/spacer that sits on top of the oil pump that keeps the distributor from resting directly on the oil pump. Last weekend I just installed my 635B distributor onto my rebuilt 1928 engine

Thanks Qman, yes my oil pump is locked in; and the distributor is the 635B. It seems like a washer on top of the oil pump would ride on the distributor gear. My oil pump has the female slot and the distributor has a male tang. How thick would that washer or bearing be? Thanks again for your help.

As I remember, the thrust washer is about .070" to .075" thick.

Disc, I am travelling but this weekend I will take a picture of a spare oil pump, the thrust washer with a distributor placed on top of the washer.

It took me a couple of stabs to make sure that the distributor matched up with the oil pump.

As for the washer hitting the cam gear, the washer placement should fall below the gear. so it should not be hitting.

Thanks to both of you for helping , pictures would be a help. I don't think this one was in right in the first place, but it worked.

I have not seen a thrust washer and have sure tried to see the female on the oil pump..How do I put a thrust washer in position? Thanks Bill

You drop it down on top of the oil pump. Or, you can put the washer on the distributor shaft using a heavy grease to hold the washer in place while the distributor is being inserted.

I was too big of a chicken just to drop the washer onto the oil pump. I was also too lazy to drop the oil pan and place the washer on the top of the pump.

So I used a large screwdriver. Slid the washer up the shaft of the screwdriver, placed the end on top of the oil pump then let go of the washer... it slid right into place

I had issues attaching the picture files, if you pm me I can send you the pictures