Thanks man. I appreciate it. This issue is driving me crazy.

 

OK, I picked up a third Distributor, Installed it in the head, cranked the engine over by hand with the valve cover off so I could watch what was going on. I did not even get a full revolution around and it started eating off the distributor shaft gears.

Im a little puzzled here.

Its a stock head, Engnbldr 268 Cam and Engnbldr timing kit. The cam gear is stock and does have the washer with it. The cam was seated properly and was able to move freely once torqued down in head.

Any help here is greatly appreciated.

 

Give Engnbldr a ring. They'll likely point you in the right direction.

 

Talked to ted a few times today and he was ready to send me a new CAM!! to swap in for free. What a great guy. I ended up figuring it out.

 

I figured out the problem. After a few hours of installing the distributor into my new engine and then the old engine, then the new engine again. I found that the distributor was always sitting 1/16 of an inch out away from seating in the cyl head. I ended up draining out the puddle of oil that collects where the hidden timing cover case bolt sits and Voila!! I had a bolt in there that had a washer on it, causing it to sit about a 1/16th of an inch to high.

Just enough to cause the dist to stick out to far.

What was happening was that the distributor gear was getting bound up between the cam gear and the Timing cover bolt. Therefore causing the gears to be shaved off.

Here are a few pics of the bolt that was the suspect.

Thanks for all the help guys. This was driving me crazy.

Here are a few photos.

The bolt with the washer causing the issues on the left


Heres the top of the Bolt where it was getting worn down from the distributor gears.


Running and driving









Huge huge thanks to my buddy Chris (kornhuskerwizard) I couldnt have done it without your help!!

And to TED (Engnbldr) He was willing to send me a new cam for free to see if that was the issue, if i needed it. What a great guy. He will have my business for life now with customer service like that.


Thanks again guys.

 

Glad you got it figured out and back running.

 

Excellent pics! Also the oil that collects around the hidden bolt could not be seen until you soaked up the oil that collects in the valley where the bolt itself. I was also literally thinking constantly but your the one who figured it out so I definetly learned something new. Im glad your driving it already and i hope after its broke in you can rip on it with 5.29s and climb something, or over a heap for that matter.

 

I'm glad it's finally running too!! I can't wait to tear it up off road somewhere. And I really can't wait to be able to open it up after a few more miles!!

 

I think its amazing how that washer made it just tall enough to cause that!!!

 

Nice work so far! That dizzy gear problem would've really torqued me off lol. Awesome that it was such a simple fix. It's crazy that one little washer would cause such a problem. But it got me thinkin that toyota made that place to pool oil just for the dizzy gears. Great work so far! Can't wait to see updates!

 

Thanks man. It really threw me off for awhile. I was going crazy trying to rack my brain and think of every possibility. It was funny because the distance that the distributor sat away from the cyl head was the exact thickness of the Washer. I think you are right on the money with that little pool of oil being for the Dizzy gears. Makes sense.

 

Well I have been driving the runner for a few days now. I still don't have any real miles on it 59.6 to be exact.

Some have asked if I notice a difference in performance. So I thought I would report back.

I can notice a distinct difference in power down low. Now I'm not sure if that's because the blocks bored 40 over or the cam or both. But hills that I used to have to downshift to 2nd or even to 3rd, I no longer have to. It seems to accelerate faster, but again, I have not really opened it up yet.

Overall things seem to be going good with it except for the oil pan gasket!! I screwed myself with this one when I had to change the rear main seal before the engine was in. And instead of just going with my gut of not using a gasket or using a new one again, I put the gasket back that I had in there. I don't think it would have mattered since the engine was not run yet. Boy was I wrong.

This things posing like a dog with diabetes. Doesn't leak while running but when shut off, starts coming out.

I was going to want 500 miles to do it but im probably going to dive into it this week and just use FIPG and no gasket.

Thanks for reading guys.

 

Well that sucks about the oil pan leaking, gotta be frustrating. I'm sure ull get it straightened out quick like always.

 

FIPG all the way

 

Yeah my oversight has given me a little bit of a headache. But I am planning on removing the oil pan this week and getting this leak tied up.

Do you think that I Should go with the Toyota FIPG or use some of that The Right Stuff FIPG at a local Parts store.

 

Can't beat Toyota FIPG, IMO, but The Right Stuff will do the job too. Me? Toyota FIPG.

 

Thanks for the insight. Im going to head to the dealer tomorrow to pick some up.

 

In my opinion "the right stuff" is just as good as the toyota stuff but the toyota dealer is so far away for me id spend more money in fuel or shipping than the product. Anyways id say make SURE the oil in the block does not seep down to the surface of where the pan mates. Maybe you put it in place and have one of the young jedis get a couple bolts started.

Oh yeah, my runner can outrun kyles tercel too

 

HAHAHA I bet Kyle was ticked!!!! Im having a hard time finding the time to make it over to Toyota. Its in bellevue, not very far but far enough to not be convenient. So I think that I might go with some of "the right Stuff".

I think that I am going to bring her in early when I get here. Drain oil, remove pan, and let her drip all day long. Then after a few 5 hrs or so, i will give it to her.

 

If your runner could talk It would thank you for getting to hang out in a nice shop!! Hope you get it sealed up for good!!