I have a distributor problem and need some help.

I have a newly rebuilt 81-85 SBC. I recently purchased a billet HEI small base distributor from a name brand speed shop. When the dist. is all the way down and seated, there is approx. 1/8" to 3/16" of slop side to side (all around). I have never seen one this loose. I am running a Weiand tunnel ram that is like new (used for a very short time). I have a friend that has a stock 327 block, i dropped this same dist. into that block and it fit perfectly with little to no slop.

Can someone please tell me what is going on with this deal because i am clueless?

here is a link showing briefly the problem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=Rp8mVHhCiDc

Thanks

 

Take a caliper and measure the distributor hole in the manifold and compare it to one in a stock manifold.
Did you use the tunnel ram before or did you buy it used? Someone may have modified it or it may have been bored wrong at the factory.

 

Uhhhhhh, guess why you got such a deal on that tunnel ram.

 

Sounds like your Weiand manifold has had the distributor hole bored out for some reason. It should be a simple matter to make up a sleeve to press into the distributor hole to take up the excess space.

 

It appears in new condition and i do not see any evidence of any machining in the hole. The dist housing at the intake hole area is 1.240". I will measure the intake hole tonight. I got the intake from a guy i work with and he said there was never any issues like this with the intake when he had it. Yes, I work at a machine shop and if it comes down to it i guess i will make a bushing to fill the gap. That still doesn't put my mind at ease over the amount of slop that has to be down in the block near the cam. If it fit the block as it should the intake would not bother me. The bore tolerance inside the block is what has me concerned.

 

Also measure a stock iron manifold hole AND measure against a stock distributor column.
Early and late SBC's blocks do differ under tha manifold, early with an iron riser that isn't hthere on late, but I don't see how that would affect this...there must somehow be a variance in either the manifold or the distributor from proper diameters.

 

Thanks Bruce. I will check those clearances tonight and see if that tells anything more. This really has me stumped.

 

If the rocking described is at the top it has to be the hole or the column...I think!

 

that is what i am wondering. If the lower portion fit the pilot then there wouldn't be any or very little slop. I am thinking the entire hole from top to bottom is bigger than it should be. Let's say the intake was not even on the engine an i dropped the dist in. It should still be a snug slip fit. Mine is loose all the way down it feels like. I put this same dist in a 327 block that my boss has here at work and it was a perfect slip fit all the way down and virtually had no play. LOL, i just hate to run the engine with this much movement going on.

 

I think that the guiding tunnel that is part of the block is only on earlier SBC (cannot remember years) and there is nothing much til you get close to the cam on a late one...so there ain't nuttin to guide the thing except manifld and lower engagement on this, and your old 327 may have the complete tunnel and not even care about slop at the manifold. It's been a while on this SBC stuff but I think that's right...

 

I hope you right, LOL. I did notice the 327 pilot starts at the deck. Mine starts down in the lifter valley as i recall. I will for sure go over all this later today and see what i can get. I will post my findings back on here tomorrow. Thanks again Bruce.

 

Ok, after some checking i have discovered it has to be the intake as mentioned. The dist. fits good into the block with the intake off. So, i will have to make a bushing i guess to take out the slop. At least now i have a better and more accurate idea as to what is going on here.