I've got a 53 Buick straight 8, 263 cubic inches, and have a question about a spring that is in the body of the distributor. See the attached picture. Can anyone tell me what the purpose of this spring is? It goes into the hole shown, and is then compressed slightly by the screw next to it. The spring appears to contact the distributor shaft where there is a corresponding groove, but I can't imagine that having a lightly compressed spring contacting a spinning shaft can be a good thing. Did I lose something that is supposed to be between the spring and the shaft?
I'm pretty sure on mine there is a servicable grease zurk there to lube the shaft/ Not sure why yours has a screw in it.
anythinggm, this distributor does have a grease zerk on the other side of the distributor, 180 degrees from this hole/spring/screw arrangement.
My '48-'49 Buick shop manual describes a "Felt Plug" that should be between the spring and the shaft. That's all I know about it.
I know this thread is old but....anybody know where to get this plug? Or can I make one? How thick is it?
I would imagine anything that's not gonna fiberousley (?) decay and leave bits in the works. Maybe a piece of felt folded over a few times and crammed in there would work fine.
Find a piece of steel tubing suitable diameter and sharpen the end to make a punch. Find a piece of felt, if you don't have any they sell felt pieces for furniture and crafts at the dollar store and hardware stores. Punch out some plugs, soak with oil and put them in.
Thanks Rusty!.....got another one for you to solve What should I use to replace the pressed pin I needed to remove to get the drive gear off my distributor. The shaft hole is a smaller diameter than the hole in the gear. I had to grind it on both sides and beat the garbage out of it to remove it. Now I need to replace it and it is too short. I was thinking about a 1/8 cold rolled steel dowel cut to the right length. This matches the diameter of the shaft hole. I could then squash it in a vice so that it expands and takes of the gap that is in the gear drive. Thoughts?
I would ream the shaft hole to match the gear or try another gear to see if it had the hole size you need. Then I also would use a roll pin
Some time in the way-back I remember seeing an old distributor with a gear retaining pin like the OP describes, but I didn't have to take it apart that far to worry about putting it back together. The end of the pin looked to have been swaged or peened over with kind of a knurled grid pattern on it. But I think Rich Fox is on the right track here, or maybe its time for a consultation with GMC Bubba.
Rich, I am curious why you would ream out the shaft when it seems that the original pin was installed with the shaft having a small hole than the gear? Plus I do not think the gear hole is a nominal size which means I may have trouble getting a pin to fit the new knurled hole I make in the shaft. The pin was exactly like ClayMart describes. Here are pictures to show what I have. Who is GMC Bubba? I am guessing an expert that I need to learn from?
This should put you in contact with Bubba. He's the resident ignition spe******t around these parts. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/members/gmc-bubba.15923/ I'd guess that Buick for some reason decided to use a solid pin in the distributor gear with the end swaged over to keep it from backing out. Maybe they'd just always done it that way or maybe they didn't trust the roll pins of the day to do the job. But I think if you redrilled the shaft and the gear to the same size and used the proper size roll pin it would work just fine. Looks like there's enough material in the shaft to tolerate a little bit of drilling without weakening it. The real trick might be keeping everything properly lined up so everything's on the same center-line.
Way back when, that was how they pined gears to distributor shafts. Sometime in the last fifty years it became clear that a roll pin was a better way. Quick and easy without beating on anything. jimlinder@juno.com Is Bubba. He has a distributor service that many here use. I did.[/QUOTE]
I will invite Mr. Bubba! I have been unable to find a solid dowel pin that is the length I need. . Everybody I've tried carries 1/8" diameter x 3/4" length. I need 1" length in order to have enough to squash/peen/swage....I have found steel rod that I could cut as well as music wire that is a bit harder. Plenty of tension spring/roll pins but can't peen those. I'm hesitant to drill the shaft because it is really hard metal as evidenced from it surviving the pin removal. Plus if I screw it up I've got junk. I really appreciate all the ideas and help.
Just did one this morning. Those GM solid pins are a bear to remove when factory peaned over.! I heat the gear, pin and shaft until cherry red . Locate the pin and use a drift to drive it out. When going back together i drill the gear and shaft all at the same time using a 3/16 inch dril bit. Then just use a factory chevrolet V8 roll pin . They are very strong and will stay in place etc. I have boxes of them laying around if ya need a couple . Just send me apm and i will throw a couple in a envelope and send them to ya......
Bubba...thank you for the prompt reply and advice. Two more questions if I may....how do you hold the whole mess together and lined up while drilling it? I am concerned I will run the risk of the pieces moving independently while I drill and end up with something that is not straight and true. Do you use a drill press or hand drill with vice?
I use a v block and a drill press , once the drill starts into the gear and shaft it pretty much lines up and goes pretty straight...
Now you've got me wondering how the factory service manual dealt with removing the pin and driven gear. Probably a special tool that all GM dealers had that no one ever bothered to learn how to use...
The only way I ever got one out was drill it. I use my mill, but if I didn't have one a drill press would work. Drilling by hand with a drill motor would take a much better man than I
Well I'm sure I can make a makeshift v-block. Drill press. Gonna need to borrow one or buy one. Makes sense though how it would work well. I did check the manual and it says if it should becomes necessary to remove the gear to grind off the peened end of the dowel and drive it out. Makes it sound simple. Not. Nothing is mentioned about putting it back in though. Thanks for all the input. I will be drill press hunting.
I think you are making it to hard. A quality 3/16 bit will drill thru the gear and shaft fairly easily. Knock in a roll pin and live happily ever after. You could just use a vise with some care etc, the start ( present hole) will kinda guide the bit thru the gear. Or you could use a few bits and just step the hole up to the 3/16 size...
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