salb203

I started a thread on Facebook about 7 weeks ago (I had to finish installing power steering in my 58 Impala before I started to work on my Cutlass) and I received a lot of replies on it from removing the engine to replace the oil pump without pulling the engine out. One reply was to remove the distributor and spin the oil pump shaft to see if I get oil pressure and low and behold I had oil pressure on the factory dashboard gauge. My next step is to remove the oil filter and cut it open to see if there is any broken pieces inside. Any opinion on how I have oil pressure when I used a drill but no pressure when the distributor was spinning the shaft.

Sal

Sugar Bear

What engine are you working on? Provide some information leading up to this situation. Is there sufficient oil in the engine?

Good luck!!!

Vintage Chief

70 350...title and 1st post

salb203

350ci Rocket, Oil level was fine. I started the car to go for a drive and I heard the lifters making a noise. Day earlier I drove 40 miles on it. Drove in the garage with no lifter noise, next day lifters were making noise.

salb203

Norm, what do you mean?

Vintage Chief

You're sure the driveshaft is engaging the camshaft? Examine the driveshaft would be a good step - especially if a hand-held drill was able to move oil (assuming that's what you used).

Vintage Chief

Wasn't Sugar Bear's question:

salb203

Can I remove the shaft by just pulling it up from the distributor hole?

salb203

Duh!

Vintage Chief

Yes

salb203

Great, I'll try that in 1 hour, my meds didn't kick in yet (Parkinsons Disease)

66SportCoupe

First why did you replace the oil pump? Now that you know you have pressure did you have no pressure before?

Fun71

This should indicate your oil pump driveshaft is OK, since you spun it from the top of the hex, and it turned the oil pump and generated pressure. I am not sure what advantage there is to pulling the drive shaft for inspection. I would inspect the distributor to ensure the gear and the recess for the drive shaft are OK.

Now how much pressure was generated would be my next question.

Vintage Chief

OK. I got a little ahead of myself. I have several things going on around the house. The oil pump shaft must be engaged in the camshaft intermediate shaft (I called it the driveshaft) which connects to the oil pump. Sometimes the intermediate shaft comes out w/ the distributor - other times not-so-much. The oil pump intermediate shaft might have slipped out of place at some point if the distributor was removed and/or replaced. With the distributor out look down the hole with a flashlight (tough to do I know), you should see the top of the shaft, it looks like the head of a regular flat tip screw. I'm not sure what you used to spin the intermediate shaft when you pulled the distributor - I'm assuming a hand-held drill? I'm confused how the drill spinning could move oil but the distributor does not. So I was thinking the bottom of the distributor is not engaging the intermediate shaft to turn the oil pump possibly?

Vintage Chief

Ah well, you beat me Kenneth. When I said driveshaft, I meant the intermediate shaft; and, yes, the key-way at the bottom of the distributor might not be engaging the intermediate shaft. I said driveshaft by mistake, meant to suggest the intermediate shaft.

Vintage Chief

Kenneth, you're probably correct, it might be a hex, instead. I thought earlier distributors had a different key. At any rate, agree that key needs to engage the intermediate shaft.

OLDSter Ralph

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