8BA Distributor Setup

fredeuce

fredeuce

Member
I have just reassembled the distributor for the 8BA I am rebuilding and performed a trial fit to the timing cover. See the picture attached.

My concern is that the distributor appears to travel too far into the housing and not properly meshing with the drive gear once assembled.

Am I observing a problem that doesn't really exist?

I would be grateful for any tips on this installation.
 

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Thanks for the clarification. This is my first time assembling one of these that was dis-assembled by someone else so flying a bit blind at the moment. Thanks again.
 
19Fordy,
Thanks for that . I had no idea there were such variations with the distributors and timing covers.
Fred
 
fredeuce said:
19Fordy,
Thanks for that . I had no idea there were such variations with the distributors and timing covers.
Fred
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Just one more thought. If you still have the stock passenger side head installed on the engine, measure the height from the surface of the block to the top of the tab that the distributor rests on. Write that number down and keep it with your engine data. That way you will always know that measurement should you decide to install another disttributor or change heads to the earlier "center hose" style. Take photos also.

For instance, when I installed early heads on my 8BA I found I needed to make a 1/4 in. thick spacer for the Mallory distributor to make it "mesh" properly.
 

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19Fordy, What you suggest had crossed my mind after the first posts about the distributor resting on the RHS head. As this engine was in pieces when I received it there was no chance of doing that. However the original heads have been milled to take out some warpage. The machinist said he took off 0.030" . That being so I am thinking of setting up the distributor drive gear to mesh properly then place a clamp around the distributor body to hold it at the correct depth and then check to see what clearance exists between the distributor and the head when I install it that should show the thickness of any spacer needed.
 
fredeuce said:
19Fordy, What you suggest had crossed my mind after the first posts about the distributor resting on the RHS head. As this engine was in pieces when I received it there was no chance of doing that. However the original heads have been milled to take out some warpage. The machinist said he took off 0.030" . That being so I am thinking of setting up the distributor drive gear to mesh properly then place a clamp around the distributor body to hold it at the correct depth and then check to see what clearance exists between the distributor and the head when I install it that should show the thickness of any spacer needed.
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Sounds like you are over thinking this, the distributor gear will mesh with the cam gear the same way all along the length of the distributor gear.
It does not have to be centered.
 
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