[TheMonkey]

BVR:

thanks for the thorough reply.

even with the missing pan bolts, you think it's the shaft seal?

i think i'll snap a pic from underneath for your inspection. it looked pretty dry behind the balancer and super sloppy at the pan gasket. i'm really hoping to not have to remove the timing cover. it might be a good idea though, because when rotate the crank, the slop between the crank and the distributor seemed huge. you said 1/2" inch stretch is the limit; how do i measure that?

any suggestions on determining whether or not it is for sure the shaft?

thanks,
Scott.