340 Oil Drive Gear

[cudacarl]

I Finally got my cuda to the point of breaking the rebuilt 340 in. I can't get the oil drive gear out to prime the motor. Also at TDC it is pointing the distributer at the no. 7 cylinder so i have to get it out and reposition it to no.1. The cam is new and so is the drive gear & bushing. In the past, I usually just use a big flat head screw driver and turn it the opposite way and have gotten it out. Using the screw driver with a cresent wrench it starts to bend the screw driver so it is really in there. I rotated the engine backwards with the distributer out but it just turns and won't come up. Any ideas????
I had the thought of taking the plugs out and cranking the engine to prime it and then plug the spark plug wires in rotated to make up for the drive gear being in the wrong position. After it runs maybe it will come out easier. I really don't won't to do this though. I'd rather get the gear out and do it right. I spent a lot of money on this motor and i don't want to screw it up. I'm going to call the builder tomorrow and see if he has a way of getting it out. Thanks...

[pishta]

Stuck in there huh? You can remove the pan and the oil pump and tap it up from the bottom. Sounds like it is stuck in the pump receiver. It might have had a burr on it when it was installed. It doesnt have to be pointing at the correct cylinder, just time the wires to the cap.

[dave571]

Sounds like someone distorted the distributor bushing when they pounded it in(not using the right tool) Then they forced in the gear afterward, without paying attention to where it's supposed to point.

I would not run this engine without getting it out. It may seize to the bushing and break some stuff(like the cam gear, bye bye big money cam)

You probably won't have to replace the bushing when you do get the shaft out. Just use something to ream a bit of clearance into the bushing before installing the gear again. I have a distributor shaft with a rod on it(gear removed) that is roughed up on the bushing surface so it is dual purpose. It primes the engine, and frees up tight dist bushings at the same time.

[cuda66273]

Something is not right ....better triple check before you fire it.

That gear should just twist out by hand, my guess is someone damaged that bushing when they installed it.....have fun.

[cudacarl]

I'm typing this for the fourth time because aol sucks and keeps kicking me off!!! I called the builder and he said the gear just slipped right in with no problem. I was thinking yea right one of his guys probably hammered it in or something being it was so stuck and in the wrong position. He loaned me 2 small hooks so i could try and pull it up and i'm thinking there ain't no way in hell this is going to work. I tried it and could only get one hook on it with it still engaged to the cam gear. I tugged on it and to my amazment it came out of the cam with little effort but then seemed to be stuck and wouldn't go any further. I stuck a screw driver in it and it turned real easily so i know it wasn't bound up on anything. I then tried his 2 hook deal and that got it to the top of the block without hardly any effort. Every time i tried to take the hooks off it waould fall back down to the cam. VERY FUSTRATING!!! After trying the hooks 15 times and swearing alot and about 5 beers i got an idea. I have this snap ring plier when closed is like a flat head screw driver. Using that it came out real easy. I think it's just a real precision fit being it would fall down to the cam so easily. I looked at the gear and there are no scraps or burrs on anything so i think i'm good to go! I'll probably start it saturday -Thanks

[cuda66273]

Good, now sit down and relax, have a beer and be patient until saturday.