Who has replaced or swapped a distributor shaft?

[nelzfoxes]

On another thread inquiring about 351 swaps, a reply was posted where the shaft from a 351 remote tfi distributor was used in a 302 tfi distributor. I happen to have both of these distributors laying around and I am in the middle of a 351 swap. Free is better than 60 bucks and having to swap gears anyway. Right? If you've done this, let me know. How hard? Special tools? Thanks in advance.

[nelzfoxes]

If the shaft is supposed to come out the top it looks like the only things holding it in there are the gear and a collar just below the housing. The collar is positioned on the shaft with a pin, just like the gear. If I have to punch out a pin to swap gears on a new distributor, I might as well punch out 2 pins and use what I have for free.

[FM2NOTCH]

why can't you use the 351 distributor?

[nelzfoxes]

I don't want to rewire for remote tfi and don't have the heat sink etc.

[FM2NOTCH]

roller cam? carb of efi? on the 351

[nelzfoxes]

It's a lightning engine that I will convert to roller cam. I will be fuel injected. Hopefully.

[nelzfoxes]

Oh! You mean the distributor. The 351 distributor is out of a roller cam engine.

[FM2NOTCH]

I've never tried the shaft swap but if it fits you should be good to go.

[gt pony]

If it's a factory dist. there is a special tool (plate) the should be used to press the gear off of the shaft and back on. I have this tool and the facilities to perform this service. You can also use the 302 dist. in a 351 if it came from a 302 with a roller cam.

What you are referring to is a open bowl dist. (TFI on the dist.) versus a closed bowl dist (TFI mounted away from the dist.).

I believe the 351 Lighting came with a roller cam. To the best of my knowledge the only difference between the 302 and the 351 is the deck height of the block, the dist. should interchange.

[nelzfoxes]

It looks like they would interchange, but the difference is at the bottom where the oil pump drive is. 5/16 hex vs. 1/4 hex.

[nelzfoxes]

If it's a factory dist. there is a special tool (plate) the should be used to press the gear off of the shaft and back on. I have this tool and the facilities to perform this service. You can also use the 302 dist. in a 351 if it came from a 302 with a roller cam.

What you are referring to is a open bowl dist. (TFI on the dist.) versus a closed bowl dist (TFI mounted away from the dist.).

I believe the 351 Lighting came with a roller cam. To the best of my knowledge the only difference between the 302 and the 351 is the deck height of the block, the dist. should interchange.

Do you think you can post a pic of the tool/plate?

[FM2NOTCH]

oil pump driveshafts are bigger on a 351, lightnings didn't come with roller cams, but I'm not sure on the distributor shaft length.

[Mustang-junky]

You can also use the 302 dist. in a 351 if it came from a 302 with a roller cam.

I believe the 351 Lighting came with a roller cam. To the best of my knowledge the only difference between the 302 and the 351 is the deck height of the block, the dist. should interchange.

Bad info here. 302 and 351 had different sized oil pump driveshafts. I believe that the hole in the block is a different size also.

Lightings had a roller block and a flat tappet cam.

When I did my fuel injected 351 I went to the U-pull-it and grabbed one of these;

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/c...034%7CL3*16062

Put a roller cam gear from a later model(remote mount TFI) distributor on a distributor like in the link(1989 f-150), and you are ready to go. You could get one of those from a junkyard too if you are looking to save some cash. I bought mine remaned so I would have a new gear. Make sure to use a mustang TFI module.

Jess

[nelzfoxes]

Bang! You just shot down my plan. This would have worked were it not for the difference in the hole in the block. I basically have 4 distributors. Two 5.0 distfibutors, a lightning distributor and a roller cam 351 distributor out of a 1995 truck. I need the distributor out of a 89 truck to swap my steel gear onto. Darn. I will post the pics anyway for reference. Thanks to all for contributing.

[nelzfoxes]

Pics. I took apart the distributor anyway, but I didn't take pics. After removing the 2 pins the gear had to be pressed off but the collar just slid right off and out came the shaft.

[v8only]

Hmm, when I did my 5.0 to 5.8 roller swap in my bronco I used the 5.8 shaft, the 5.0 gear and 5.0 base and it worked perfect..I see they do have different base sizes, but that didn't effect mine, worked great..that size difference above isn't much

Sent from my C6916 using Tapatalk

[Zap's 85 GT]

I have on of these tools to replace the gears and perform maintenance.

http://www.handhelditems.com/ford-di...n-p-59210.html

If you start hammering on the shaft you will likely break the cast iron collar right under the aluminum housing.

[v8only]

That's a cool tool, I've got a harbor freight press, so I.use that

Sent from my C6916 using Tapatalk

[nelzfoxes]

Hmm, when I did my 5.0 to 5.8 roller swap in my bronco I used the 5.8 shaft, the 5.0 gear and 5.0 base and it worked perfect..I see they do have different base sizes, but that didn't effect mine, worked great..that size difference above isn't much

Sent from my C6916 using Tapatalk

I can believe you got away with using the base or housing of the 5.0, but the gear you would have to drill out because the shaft of the 5.8 distributor is fatter.

[v8only]

The shaft diameter for the dizzy is the same between the two, only the end that fits into oil pump shaft is fatter, yea, its been some time, I.used the steel gear off the 96 5.8 dizzy that I had

Sent from my C6916 using Tapatalk

[nelzfoxes]

I walked through 6 local u pull it yards today and couldn't find a late 80's 351 distributor. I might just try the 5.0 distributor with the 351 shaft and steel gear and put a little bit thicker o ring on it for a good seal. There is an edge I think around the distributor hole that along with the hold down would prevent it from moving around.

[Mike86GT]

For anybody pulling a dizzy gear, make sure you mark the gear and the shaft so the gear goes back on the right way. If you install it 180^ off, it is almost a full tooth off.

[nelzfoxes]

For anybody pulling a dizzy gear, make sure you mark the gear and the shaft so the gear goes back on the right way. If you install it 180^ off, it is almost a full tooth off.

If this is true then I am f'ed! Haha!

[nelzfoxes]

Ok. Well I finally broke down and got a used distributor off of ebay that came out of a late 80's ford truck. I offered to buy a distributor out of a 1990 bronco being parted out on craigs and never heard back, so ebay to the rescue! Now I just have to swap out the cast gear for my 351 roller cam steel gear and I will be good to go. I have 4 distributors! Stock 5.0 mustang, stock 1995 lightning that came in my motor, 1996 351 roller cam ford truck, and finally 351 late 80's ford truck distributor. All 4 distributors are the same overall length. The shaft diameter for the 302 is smaller where the gear is mounted. Therefore a 302 roller cam gear will not work on a 351 shaft. If you look at the pic with the view from bottom in my earlier post you can see the difference in the thickness of the shiny machined portion on the bottom of the gear.

[nelzfoxes]

Here is the distributor I bought on ebay. 351 distributor with the tfi module on the side. the gear is cast and not compatible with a roller camshaft. in my attempt to replace the gear with a roller cam gear I found that the hole on the shaft would not match up with the hole on the gear. Maybe the hole was drilled offset, but it wouldn't line up. I had to use the distributor shaft that the gear came from. The older style distributor didn't have a seal on the bottom, and the shaft had a spiral groove on it to control oil coming up the shaft. Since I used the shaft and gear from a newer distributor, there is a possibility I will have an oil problem inside the distributor.