351 C

Oct 23, 2004 1 Replies

Anyone remember anything about the shaft that runs the oil pump on a cleveland. That if you pull the distributor the shaft comes out and falls down into the oil pan or block, I think. If someone didn't know and placed the Distributor back in and tried to start the engine, what would happen? Would it start or hurt the motor in anyway? Thanks Dean.


If the shaft pulls up with the distributor, it was either previously installed upside down or missing the washer that keeps it fom pulling out.

In a nutshell, the motor will start without the shaft in place. Since there will be no oil pressure what-so-ever, engine damage would depend on how long the motor was run and how much power it was asked to produce - don't forget that each time we start our motors, we have no oil pressure for a brief period.

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