View Single Post
  #395  
Old 11-01-2023, 03:26 PM
Kenth's Avatar
Kenth Kenth is offline
Ultimate Warrior
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The Kingdom of Sweden
Posts: 6,097
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by steve25 View Post
Another detail with Distributors that gets little coverage is the end play.

If the gear to body clearance is more then .010" then you stand a real good chance of having spark scatter and the resultant deadly crossfire taking place.

The older your Distributor is the more you stand a chance of this taking place.

Unfortunately when this takes place at high rpm and with open Exh, by the time you hear it and or feel it rod Bearing and or Piston damage is already starting.

Ignition systems missing will not cause damage, but crossfire sure will!

Also many new Distributors have too much darn clearance too!
You have obviously NO idea what you are talking about.
Your statement is an old myth that should have died decades ago.

"End play" (up and down) on a factory pontiac distributor is around .060". I have found factory NOS Pontiac distributors with up to .080" end play.
There is NO need to alter this as the helical gears on distributor and camshaft WILL push the gear against the wear shim at ALL times the engine is running.
There is NO shaft wandering up and down as long as the engine is running, and certainly not when letting the foot off of the pedal.
(Itīs not like the engine rotation changes direction at retardation.)
And, decrease the end play too much can cause glitter in oil from the oilpump bottom plate shaved by the gears in pump due to a binding oil pump drive shaft.

JFYI

__________________
1966 GTO Tri-Power
1970 GTO TheJudge
http://www.poci.org/
http://gtoaa.org/