Intake and lifter question

[R.Smith]

I'm putting together everything I'll need to change my intake and have 2 questions.

Are the lifters flat tappet? Also, I keep hearing horror stories about pulling the distributor and dropping the oil pump connecting pin into the pan. Is this a real problem of more anti Ford propaganda put out by devious chevy owners?

[fordman]

the dist is hard to get out sometimes. grease can build up and make it stick in the hole. and soemtimes it comes right out with no problems. i haven't had the rod fall out on me. mine stayed in the oil pump. it is suppsoe to have a keeper on it to prevent the shaft falling intot he pan. but it doesn't alway swork. if it does fall into the pan remove the front cover. and take one of those extending magnets and fish it out through the front cover area of the oil pan. that will also give you a chance to put a new timing chain on while you are there. timing chains aren't that expensive.

[69rangerman]

Yeah it's real. When I assembled my engine I forgot to put the keeper on it. When I put the new dizzy in with the rod in it, it slipped out and jammed between the side of the hole it goes through and the pump. After 3 hours I was able to fish it out the dizzy hole with a coat hanger, and the magnet thing fordman mentioned.

Now if I have to take the dizzy out I'm real careful, and when I put it back in I put a glop of grease on the dizzy end of the rod and that holds it in long enough for me to get it installed.

Good luck!

[R.Smith]

Wow. What a prophetic response!. I pulled the intake, rockers and finally got the lifter out...replaced it and reassembled everything, started the engine and ...viola! no oil pressure so, I pulled the dist and there was the shaft, wedged between the dist alignment hole and the oil pump. Luckily I got it out fairly quick with a pair of needle nose pliers that I had to grind down until they were like 2 toothpicks.

Whoever designed this setup should be beaten to death with spark plug wires.

I put rtv in the dist hole and put the shaft in it. I'll try putting it in this evening.

The problem now is that the bad lifter was bad because the cam had worn it down until a hole popped thru. The cam didn't look scared but I couldn't see the whole thing so, I guess I'm gonna have to replace that next. I'd do it now but it's just too freakin cold.