92banana

Hi
Is there any problem with not using retainer on oil pump drive shaft in a 455?

joe_padavano

If you are talking about the small pressed-on washer, the primary function of that part is to prevent the oil pump driveshaft from falling out of the block when the engine is upside down on an engine stand and the distributor is not installed. Leaving it off will not affect the engine once the distributor is in place. Just be careful if you later pull the distributor that the shaft does not come partway out then fall into the block. Usually the shaft is wedged in the distributor drive gear anyway.

92banana

Thanks for the reply. Shaft was stuck in dist gear and retainers were stripped off removing dist. Now to get retainers out of pan.

oldcutlass

I would not worry about the retainer in the pan unless the engine is out and the pan is removed. It will do no harm in there until then.

joe_padavano

I've dropped lots of these retainers into the oil pan while extracting a distributor with a stuck drive shaft. Never had an issue.

Run to Rund

I put a bit of moly camshaft lube on the ends of the 5/16" hex drive to minimize it seizing.

joe_padavano

That's a really good idea.