Oil pump driveshaft question

[oddball]

I have a question about the oil pump driveshaft on my 352. I pulled the distributor out and I noticed the driveshaft was stuck to the distributor. It popped off and fell back to were it looks like it should be. I fished it out with a magnet and checked to see if it would pull out completely. It didnt so Im assuming the clip is still holding it in. My question is should the driveshaft be loose and pull out like that? It pulls out a few inches and then stops. I put everything back together and drove around the block, now Im having a no start problem. Its acting like the battery is dead so Im hoping the pump didnt stop.

[BobbyFord]

If you didn't get the oil pump driveshaft back in then the lifters would have been screaming for oil. Is your oil light out or gauge reading oil pressure?
Sounds like you've got a charging or battery issue.

[fordman]

how hard was it to start the first time after you pulled the dist out. was it slow turning? and it is slow turning now? are you sure the dist is exactly where it is suppose be? is it in the same place as it was before timing wise?

[Dragon]

It didnt so Im assuming the clip is still holding it in. My question is should the driveshaft be loose and pull out like that? It pulls out a few inches and then stops. I put everything back together and drove around the block, now Im having a no start problem. Its acting like the battery is dead so Im hoping the pump didnt stop.

Does the engine crank? At all or does the starter hit and groan.

The pump rod not being in place would show up as a real noisy motor in nothing flat. Even a new motor will hammer rods and tappets will all chatter after just a revolution or two without oil. You would have heard this as wrong before you got out of the driveway.

The rod has a clip that holds it down. But the pump rod will get glued into the dizzy by sludge and when you pull the dizzy up the clip will fight you. If that did not happen the clip was not put on in the right place a while back. The clip is just there to allow you to pull up the dizzy without removing the pump shaft. My 360 did that on my first dizzy change and the clip pulled all the way off. Then the shaft dropped just as I cleared the block. Down into the pan it went. When I glued the new shaft on to the new dizzy I had it drop off to the same place. Did not wait long enough. 3rd shaft made it. So until my 360 has the pan pulled it has two drive shafts in the pan.

[oddball]

If you didn't get the oil pump driveshaft back in then the lifters would have been screaming for oil. Is your oil light out or gauge reading oil pressure?
Sounds like you've got a charging or battery issue.

The motor sounded fine, guage and light doesnt work

[oddball]

how hard was it to start the first time after you pulled the dist out. was it slow turning? and it is slow turning now? are you sure the dist is exactly where it is suppose be? is it in the same place as it was before timing wise?

It started fine the first time but I started it a couple of times after that and it cranked slower each time. After I drove it it wouldnt start at all, starter was slow and then the solenoid clicked. I couldnt even jump it with my other truck. The timing is off by one tooth I think but I cant get it to crank fast enough to be able to check

[Dragon]

When it cranked slow did it sound sluggish like real hard to turn or just hard to rise up against compression. Like fast then slow over and over a few times. So real hard all the time is a bad friction problem fast and slow is a battery or starter problem It can rise up hit compression then almost stop if they are bad or weak.

[oddball]

It will crank ok for a couple of revolutions and then slow and then it just clicks. Its not hard all the time, and I can turn the crank by hand with out too much trouble. The alternator might have crapped out because I drove it for a while. It started acting up when I was trying to adjust timing after the initial drive

[Dragon]

Get a good charge on the battery. A trickle charger 2amp will take a couple of days but a truck or car hooked to it will need to be revved up to get it to the point it will start.