So I got my Pertronix distributor and coil in for my F100 and started swapping out the distributor today. The original distributor was in there TIGHT. I finally got it out and started to put the new one in when I realized the distributor wasn't seating correctly. I looked sown into the hole and see the oil pump shaft is not straight up and down. I read online that I could use a magnet to pull the oil pump shaft up through the hole. That sounded like a good idea so I used my small shop magnet to lift the shaft out...... well I had it lifted about an inch and thinking I was home free and then I hear CLINK as the shaft falls down into the engine. Ok let me have it........ I'm sure I did about 10 things wrong. So now I need to know how do I get the shaft out of the motor? This old FE motor is in pretty rough shape so a rebuild is probably in the near future anyway but I sure wanted to see if I could get this thing fired up. BTW...I know I know.. there is a TON of junk down in the motor where I took the old distributor out. which leads me to..... Any recommendations on engine rebuilders in Austin?
Drop the oil pan............remove oil pump shaft and install new distributor before you reinstall the pan...........just in case.... Don't obsess over it...this kind of stuff happens or happened to all of us at one time or another. Ray
These are the excuses we look for so that we can just go ahead and rebuild the engine since we know it needs it anyway. You subconsciously did it on purpose..
I would leave it in the pan and get another one. It will settle in the sludge and stay right there. If you are really worried you can stick a strong magnet [like a car speaker has] on the bottom of the pan.
You know that sounds like a pretty damn good idea.... any chance of damage to the motor? There really isn't anywhere for the shaft to go but straight down to the oil pan right?
Okay, I have a few things to input here. #1 Did the shaft disappear? There should be a retainer to keep it from coming out or up enough to fall inside. #2 Your original problem was the pump turned a little as the dizzy was pulled. When you line up the rotor while reinstalling, you needed to rotate the crank slightly with the distributor in and it would have fallen into place. #3 The old shaft is safe IF in is in the bottom of the pan. #4 Pull the pan to be safe and be sure and reinstall the retainer clip on at this point to avoid this. Retainer is seen in the pic link below http://stores.precisionoilpumps.com/media/00/a6473b71358d8b7c9a620d_m.jpg
Hey guys thanks for the input and advice.....sincerely. I always appreciate the advice. I have pretty much decide to just buy a engine hoist and pull the engine out and have it rebuilt. So now I am looking into what kind of modifications CAN and SHOULD I do to the 352 FE motor to bump up the power and bad assness. Would a different cam and exhaust be the limit on this or are there other mods that I should look into? I think I'll start a new thread on this subject...
I knew a guy who used dynamite get rid of a wasp nest.... http://www.break.com/video/the-fastest-way-to-piss-off-a-nest-of-wasps-2505430
This is the best result to this story! With the amount of junk in that motor, ad the fact that you have now dislodged a bunch of it, you were bound to have oiling problems at a minimum really soon!
Ditto ! I had police cars years ago with three in the pan at one time. Only once did one get wrapped up between two rods, broke the oil pump drive and pushed it thru the timing cover , a piece got in the lower timing gear and bent the crank. All in a couple seconds etc. I started tearing down the engine right away , My boss asked what happened to car 6 ? I said beats me and changed the engine that afternoon with a spare. Install the new drive rod and beat in the lower shaft with a small piece of copper wire etc. And run it . Its a Macgiver world it will either blow up or it wont.....
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