Thank you so much for your video. It taught me the knowledge for my Classic 71 F-250 Camper Special with a new 360 motor, got that shaft out of the bottom of the oil pan with a magnetic flex rod I borrowed from my Uncle. And installed with the straw. Thanks again! I'm Bobby.
This was incredibly helpful! You have no idea how many hours I spent trying to figure out why my distributor wouldn't go back in. I had 2 mechanics look at it and give up also. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the world!
thanks boss. great info. I was sweating like a horse, cussing like a logger, finally took a break and thought about it . I must of pulled the shaft out of the pump. found ur video and will try again tomorrow with straw and dowel.
Thank you Jerry! I would not thought of the drinking straw idea in a million years. I have a 1971 F250 390 the old distributor came out with the oil shaft stuck in it, after much wrestling. I bought a new distributor and oil pump shaft, cut off the washer of it, used the straw trick, then cut it off, in half,used long needle nose pliers and a metal rod to hold the oil shaft in place yanked out the straw and whal-LA no need to drop the oil pan. You really saved my butt- my truck was stuck at my employers parking lot! Thanks again for the video!
Thank you. I used a magnet to pull the shaft up. Then I put the straw around the shaft. Then I used a skewer to pull the straw off the shaft after I got it seated.
This is the first time I have ever commented on any video. Sir, you saved my bacon so much. i had been fighting getting my distributor in for a week. Your information and home made tool using a straw idea paid off in a big way. Thank you!
Thanks so much for your clever idea and hints. I successfully used a Jack In The Box Straw and small dowel per your guidance to sort out my intermediate shaft on my 1966 Ford FE 390GT motor intermediate shaft this week. The FE and SBF share same size dia and shape shafts, just different lengths. I am going to make a simpler version of your brass tube tool as well to keep in my tool box along with my spare straws. I also discovered that a set of long nose Harbor Freight Needle Nose pliers worked well on my FE. I managed to get the shaft wedged using my straw tool and needed the pliers to un-wedge it. I also used my pre-lube shaft to check the shaft was properly in before putting the distributor back in. So again thank you for the video.
you helped me big time, I literally just came into the house frustrated because i am building a maverick and was attempting to prime and couldnt get old distributor on that i made a priming tool out of to set in to the rod, it seems offset, now i know whats up, im heading back out there to do the straw trick.. thanks alot fot video
Thanks for the straw trick -- saved me from cursing my Ford in front of the kid. I used a 7-11 slurpee straw and two chop sticks as the dowel-- brilliant !
This was excellent information. I have a Ford 400 and it seems that the shaft was installed upside down and it pulled out of the pump. The retainer is at the bottom of the shaft. I used assembly grease in a 5/16 socket and got it back in the pump but it of course the grease then wouldn’t release the shaft without pulling it back out. Now that I know the angle and the straw trick, I am confident I can do it without dropping the pan...for now. I should probably flip it over sometime. Update: back on the road! Thanks a million!
We live, we learn! No real reason to flip untill the next engine teardown. The only issue is the pump end doesn't have as much of a bevel as the distributor end which helps the insertion of the distributor (it's more pointy). gtlad the video helped.
Hey Jerry.... . . . . . Love this tool ! Ya know, Im a 65 yr old WOMAN who has spent my whole life in the construction trade. Mostly big stuff. Roads, Bridges , Airports. Im a heavy Equipt operator , welder, crane operator, even a Merchant Marine. When I first started back 50 yrs ago it was tough trying to get "Da Boys" to teach me the tricks.... so I started following the 'Old Guys' around the const site. Those guys were AWESOME! They would Make a Tool, to Make a Tool. Ive learned that it doesnt take intelligence to be good at what you do... ya just have to understand your trade. Ive always leaned on LOGIC ! . . . Nobody takes the incentive to 'Make it Work' somehow. Being a Merchant Marine, you find yourself out in the middle of the ocean on a broke down Tug Boat... you make do. Thats when human ingenuity kicks in and you INVENT the tool or part to get you home.! I have to thank My Maker for giving me LOGIC instead of intelligence. I love having to figure my way out of situations when theres no Home Depot down the street. And thats where the "OLD GUYS" are a God send. Thanks Jerry.... for the tool idea... and for having the WANT to invent it! ... . . . . . . . . ♀... ᕙ(ಠ‿ಠ)ᕗ ...♀ . . . . . . . . . . . . . ☮ . . . . ☮ . . . . ☮ . . . . . . . . ., . Robin & Da Critters . . . . * IRIE MON !! * ___☸______̴ı̴̴̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡*̡̡ ̴̡ı̴̴̡ ̡̡͡|̲̲̲͡͡͡ ̲▫̲͡ ̲̲̲͡͡π̲̲͡͡ ̲̲͡▫̲̲͡͡ ̲|̡̡̡ ̡ ̴̡ı̴̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡̡._____☸_
WOW, WOW, WOW!! Thank you so much for your comments. I too had a back ground that helped me figure things out. I grew up on a farm and of course we had to figure out and FIX things. There was no going down to the store and buy new.I'm a retired Captain out of the airlines and the same is true as in your case out in the middle of the ocean, that when you have a problem at 37,000 feet you best figure out the best plan of action.Thanks again! Jerry
You saved me! Thank you! Had this same prob but with the retainer had slid to the bottom making it a bit more difficult but still worked using your straw method! Used a green lemonade straw gripped to the oil pump shaft to guide it back in its hole and a Phillips screw driver through the straw to push the shaft out. l also used a pair of needle nose pliers to grip the straw still while I pushed out the shaft. It worked! Distributor is finally back in l! Thanks again!
Jerry, you are quite welcome. The little things like this and knowing about pitfalls and solutions is so welcoming when one has not encountered a certain repair to have this stuff as second nature. Knowing one can make a tool like this to get the rod in place properly is such a relief too.
Well, the thing that I think is so fantastic is the "invention" of TH-cam. It allows like never before the experiences of others to be shared by millions of people. I never in my wildest dreams thought there would be over 25,000 hits on my little video!I do light machining and welding and I have watched hundreds of videos on both subjects. I have learned ALOT!!
Jerry, I wholeheartedly agree. My first experience with youtube and "how to" videos happened about 10 years ago when I was trying to learn about lawn mower carburetors. They are incredibly simple and yet the presenter took HIS time to post the how to, and opened my eyes to the benefits of these videos. In addition, the clear presenting of the ins and outs of how the carb parts work and how to clean, set up and adjust them to make them run at optimal result. was a terrific benefit to me and to many others. Thank you again for being such an asset to your fellow man. Blessings to you, Jerry
great video, wish I had this tool, I just about screwed my motor up putting a msd distributer on because I didn't realize the shaft fell out, it ran for 30 seconds before I realized what was going on. hopefully I don't have to tear the motor apart I hate mechanic work
I dropped my oil pump shaft in my pan on 89 mustang 302HO. I really need to fish it out . I did not have the funds or engine hoist to be able to pull the pan. instead I have been running the car for awhile with the pump shaft in the pan. figured I build a engine when the rebuilt stocker went but its been a while with no issues and lots of max power burnouts and plenty of miles. I could of used a tool like this. very nice .
Thank you so much Sir, just did this to my boat. for some reason my oil shaft had locked on my distributor and when i pulled out or tried to pull it out, i had to force it out????with a little clank/clank noise (hah! shit moment)> had to lightly pound out shaft from dist. never happen before??? You Sir are some kind of genious ??? i have to try to retrieve the clip yet, but this video helped me greatly, Thank You Sir!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! terry s. -5/12/2020
Ya sometimes those shafts can really get stuck in the distributor. I wouldn't worry too much about the clip, it's not likely it will come up from the bottom of the pan to do any damage. The oil pump can't pick it up either. Now you will have to install the old one (or new one) without the clip, because it's impossible to install with the clip on. That's just fine and will work without any problems. Just the next time you remove the distributor be mindful that it could slip off. Now it's time to find that perfect straw to reinstall it. Best of luck! Jerry
To answer your last question I'll try and answer it here. (You Tube is slow in letting my answer questions for some reason). The only reason for the little clip is to prevent what happened to you. So now that it has happen ( it didn't do what it was supposed to) you can still install the shaft (with a straw) and the engine will operate just fine. Don't give it a second thought. I'm glad you were able to retrieve the clip. Should you at some time in the future have to remove the distributor know, that the shaft might want to come out with the distributor, or it might decide to fall off half way up and fall back onto the oil pump. Just know that it could happen. Save the clip for when you do an entire engine overhaul (or perhaps a stroker job) HA!! Best of luck! Jerry
Jerry, thanks for the replay. I bought an intermediate shaft and it does have the clip about in the middle. Think I will try it from the top. I will upload the pic as 1995 Ford Ranger 4x4 4.0L Oil Pump Question?
I don't know if this is exactly the issue you have, but it sure sounds familiar from what you described. Check out this TH-cam video and see if it helps you. I was right in saying that it is important to mark the position when taking it out, because it is TIMED. There is another video on the subject after this one. Check them all. th-cam.com/video/oUQpngRn-agJ/w-d-xo.htmlerry
Thanks for the briefing! Very useful! Though, I’m the one whose shaft not only lost the oil pump hex, but it stuck in the middle somewhere and blocked the engine)) thanks god it did otherwise I would have burnt it. I managed to fish it using an endoscope with a hook. The reason I lost it - wrong installation with a retaining ring at the bottom, which I used to fish by the way😂 what shall I do now? How can I install a new one from top without a retainer and not loose it once again? Shall I glue it to the distributer with a drop of superclue?
Putting in a new one shouldn't be any harder than using the "straw method". I'm asuming you got the other one out? What hapened to the keeper on the old shaft? If it fell off somehow it will probably will be fine at the bottom of the oil pan. The whole idea of the "straw" is so you will have control of the shaft and guide it into the oil pump hole. I would NOT glue it to the distributer, because it would be very hard to determine if it went into the pump properly. Plus there is a fair amount of "slop" in the connection so it might not stay in proper alignment to stick in the oil pump receptacle. That connection between the two (dist. and oil pump) is basically a "floating" connection. Good luck and keep me informed. Jerry
The old one is out. I found the retainer on the bottom of the shaft, near oil pump. I bet smb installed it wrong. I’m not gluing it after what you said. Thanks again!
Just saw your video! I'm changing distributor on a 460 in a lincoln mark iv... Oil shaft is leaning to the side. I originally thought it was engaged and I started car. It ran for a second but I heard grinding noise. I immediately turned it off. Luckily, oil shaft is leaning to the side. I tried a screwdriver but shaft won't stay in the middle. I'm assuming it came out of the pump and is resting there. I'll try the straw technique and see if I can reset it!
I'm so very sorry, I didn't make the tool to sell, just to give others a chance to make their own. The straw idea is very simple so long as you find the right straw. It takes a while to find the right size straw, the right ID and the right wall thickness, but they are out there. I think I got mine at WalMart . Best of luck-Jerry
So what do you do when the oil pump shaft will not come out of the distributor shaft on a 1995 3.8 liter? Take a pair of pliers and put it on the shaft and take a pair of needle nose pliers and lever between the pliers on the shaft and the bottom of the distributor shaft and pry the oil pump shaft out. There is a small ring in a groove at the top of the oil pump shaft that jams inside the distributor shaft hole that prevents the shaft from falling out. Tap it back in afterwards. If the gear and spacer bushing have to be removed put 2 - 1/8" drills bits in the holes to align them when hammering them back on with sockets, to line up the holes for the roll pins. Always mark the distributor housing position to the block and the rotor and reluctor positions to the distributor housing as well as the gear and spacer bushing positions so they go on the right way as the roll pin holes are slightly offset from true center. Use a paint marker if possible.
Jerry thanks for making this tool and providing the videos. I have a Ford 351w in which I need to remove the oil pump shaft. It has the retainer clip on it. How could I pull the clip off to remove the shaft? Thanks
Wow! That is a problem for sure! That "clip" is a one way thing that offers a lot of resistant in one direction (the very direction you want to go). I don't know of any way to grab hold of of the shaft (it's a long way down the hole) so you could overcome the resistance of the clip on the shaft. BUT it might be possible. Guys have taken out distributers and the shaft was so stuck in the bottom of the distributor that they pulled the shaft out with the distributor. Apparently the clip slid off the entire shaft. I wish I had great idea to get it out other than droping the pan, but unfortunatly i don't. Best of luck Jerry
OK thank you sir, thank you for quick reply, I'll pull the pan the engine is out of the car just my engine stand is home made and kinda difficult to work with, lol Anyway I'll get it done. thank you again have a great day!
When I made this thing, I had no idea there would be so much interest in it. So the idea of patenting it wasn't in the cards. If for no other reason the high cost of obtaining a patent was outside of my pocketbook.
Will this also be true with a 312 Y Block? My oil pressure gauge started bouncing around like crazy instead of being stable and even would drop some on acceleration. My friend told me that, was happening because of a worn oil pump shaft, needs to be replaced.
I wish I saw this yesterday before I dropped my shaft into the oil pan. Instead of tearing down the motor to retrieve it I just bought another shaft for $11. It has the clip on it. My other one didn't. Does this have to be installed from the bottom? This video is 7 years old so I don't know if I'll get an answer. Maybe if I take the clip off I can install it with a straw. I have a bare block in the garage. I'll practice on that. I don't want a pile of these in my oil pan.
Sorry you didn't see the video eariler. The new shaft will work just fine, but you will have to take the clip off to install it from the top. If you wanted the clip on than you would have to install from the bottom (no fun). The shaft will lay in the pan and will probably not be a problem unless you go upside down. HA. Do you know for sure that it went all the way to the pan? Some times it just comes out of the oil pump and just sits there like I showed in the video. Best of luck! Jerry
@@jerrychristopherson888 I heard two clunks when it fell one when it hit bottom and one when it fell over. I turned the engine over by hand to make sure it wasn't binding anywhere. The straw and skewer were in my kitchen drawer. Great tip. Thanks. I was concerned about the pre load on the valve adjustment. The Chilton's Mustang book said 1/4 turn beyond zero lash. I watched a few videos and one said a half turn one said 3/4 turn and one said one full turn.. I thought I went 3/4 when I first put it together That's why I didn't trust Chilton's. Maybe that was a misprint. I just replaced broken rings on number 5 and I didn't want to tear it apart again. My son said I could use a strong magnet to move it close to the drain plug and retrieve it that way. I'll try on my next oil change. Thanks again. Great video. Very helpful
@@alshotrodsandratrods8780 Sounds like you did the right thing by turning the engine over by hand. like i mentioned in the video there have been guy's who have been able to "fish" it out of the drain pluge hole. Best of luck! Jerry
got a used arp shaft, can I use my o.e clip from my orignal pump? seemed like the clip moved way to easily and would slide off. also at the tip of the oil pump with the shaft in near the distributor end....should there be a wobble room? the shaft into oil pump turns and feels free/snug like it would pump good oil..
The ARP shaft #154-7904 should have a clip, but if you got a used one it might have gotten lost. The original clip should fit the end that fits into the distributor as it's the same size, 1/4 hex as origional. I measured one of my original shafts and the clip is about .750 inches from the top. Jerry
Jerry, Working on a 1995 Ford Ranger 4.0l XLT 4x4. Ordeal started with replacing the camshaft position sensor on the back of the engine under intake manifold. Have upper intake off and cannot get new part in. I think the old intermediate shaft spun inside the camshaft position sensor and rounded all the splines. I want to put in a new shaft but short of pulling the engine and dropping the pan I wondered if your approach would work in pulling the old shaft? Only problem I see is that the ring you show on the shaft in this video would probably prevent me from pulling the old shaft through the boss and out from on top. Am I right?
Bummer- Well, I sure wish I had some experience with that particular engine. I did go to a mechanic that is familiar with your engine and asked him about the shaft you talked about. He said that the shaft was held in by a O-ring (to keep the oil in). If that IS the case then grabbing it "somehow" and pulling it out, overcoming the resistance of the O-ring might work. Seems to me there might be a timing issue there also, so be aware of that also. like I said I have never seen one of these engines, so what I would suggest is to go to a mechanic you trust and are able to talk with him about it. I find it very easy to go to the "back" of the Ford dealer and talk to a mechanic, they are usually very helpful.Best of luck.Jerry
Jerry, I am going to try it this weekend. Need to find some tubing. Have bought some magnets, grippers and needle nose vice grips just in case. The 9/32 tube is too small. So onwards to Fleet and Farm after work Friday. Who would dare say that 62 year guys don't have a good time on a Friday night. PS. I'm too old to drop the pan in the middle of a minnesota winter.
Ah yes I remember Minnesota's winters very well, as I grew up in northern Minnesota.Again, I encourage you to ask someone up there that is familiar with that engine just how to do it..
Jerry, I've been trying so hard to seat my distributor, and now I'm almost positive it is because the rod is no longer seated in the pump. I don't have the tooling available to make one of your tools. I may give the straw/dowel combo a shot, but it makes me nervous as one already we had to drop the pan. Would you consider making another and selling it?
There are two possibilities. One is that the shaft is out of the pump and is just siting on the side of the pump, the way to tell is to use a "proper sized straw" and carefully slide it over the top of the shaft, now IF you are able to easily turn the shaft that means that the shaft is NOT in the pump. Now is the time to slowly pull the shaft up until you can reinsert the shaft back into the pump. The second possibility is the shaft is IN the pump (lots of resistance to turn), but the distributor hex isn't matching the shaft hex. This will keep the distributor from going in that very last half inch or so. In this case the gear on the distributor and the camshaft gear ARE in mesh (so you won't lose timing) you can just tap the starter while having someone pushing down on the distributor and it should pop in. What you are doing is turning the pump shaft to match the distributor, it only takes a slight movement of the engine for this to work. I've done it many times.When you start this process be sure the engine is set so the number one cylinder is on top dead center on the COMPRESSION stroke and that the rotor will FINALLY sit at approximately the one o' clock position looking from the top. Finding the correct straw can take a while (try Wall Mart). To help in finding one take one of those little 1/4" bits that are used in screwdrivers and use that(hex) to go and find a straw that just barely fits over the bit (best if heated). These bits are the same size as the distributor shaft (on small blocks that is). Best of luck! And merry Christmas!Jerry
Great advice, Jerry. Thank you. I have a feeling I am dealing with both issues. The hex rotates pretty easy, but I'm nervous to lift it and lose it. The second half is certainly true because lodged or not, the distributor shaft is out of rotation with the hex. I'll be brave after Santa visits and try again.
Sam- I'm sorry to say I never intended to make these tools to sell. That's why I showed how to use the simple "soda straw" method. For those who do have the tools to make one I showed that on the last half of the video. My apologies. Jerry
I took my cam shaft synchronizer off my 2005 Ford Freestar. However the oil pump shaft retrieval came off along with it and it's stuck on the synchronizer. How can I take it off because it's stuck on there
can that shaft that drives the distributor suddenly BREAK? after running flawlessly, i see my motor cranks, but no turning of the rotor...any ideas anyone? ( ford 289 )
It is posible, however there other things that can go wrong, A. The pin (1/8 inch roll pin) That holds the gear to the shaft could have sheered causing the gear to spin on the shaft. B. The gear itself could have worn enough that the teeth no longer engage in the camshaft ( this ALWAYS happens if you use a cast iron gear on a steel roller camshaft, ask me how I know!!). If it did break one has to know that something happened in the oil pump! Be sure to check all these ideas. Best of luck and let me know what you found out. Jerry
+Brandon Keele I'm sorry to say I don't sell the tool. It's too labor intensive to make it worth the effort to try to sell them. That's why I show the simple idea of using a soda straw to get the job done. I was at a "McAlister's" Sandwich Shop (deli) recently and their red straws work. Best of luck.Jerry
I'm sorry to say I don't sell them, I only showed a way of DIY. The brass ones are far too time consuming to build to make it worth while to sell. If they were made in China they might be cost worthy. The straw idea works very well, it just takes time to find the right one that fits. Best of luck.Jerry
James - Sorry for the delay in answering your question I was away for the holidays. Now for your question, "how to replace the shaft with the keeper on". Well, sorry to say, without removing the oil pan you can't! If your engine is in a vehicle and you can't remove the oil pan easily (is it ever easy??) the only thing you can do is remove the keeper and install it as the video shows. The thing to remember is when or IF you ever remove the distributor the shaft MIGHT stick to the distributor shaft so it will pull out (or drop off halve way up) of the oil pump. The way the shaft fits into the distributor there can be some "suction" (or sludge) that prevents the separation when withdrawing the distributor. That is the purpose of the keeper to keep the shaft IN the oil pump when removing the distributor. Apparently there are many engine builders that don't seem to know the importance of that little keeper when assembling an engine. I'm absolutely AMAZED at how many people have visited the sight for this problem. Best of luck Jerry
Good lord. This is a frustrating video! I found myself yelling at my phone "spit it out"! I use to be a bad stutterer .with voice and speech lessons I pulled through thank god
***** No, i made one for a friend, but it's too labor intensive to try and sell them. That is why i made the suggestion with the soda straws because it was so simple.
Thank you so much for your video. It taught me the knowledge for my Classic 71 F-250 Camper Special with a new 360 motor, got that shaft out of the bottom of the oil pan with a magnetic flex rod I borrowed from my Uncle. And installed with the straw. Thanks again! I'm Bobby.
HA! Who said it couldn't be done! Just a little ingenuity and a flex magnet!
This was incredibly helpful! You have no idea how many hours I spent trying to figure out why my distributor wouldn't go back in. I had 2 mechanics look at it and give up also. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the world!
Thanks!! It's always great to have the right tool to make life easy!
Your video is still helping people. Thank you for making this.
thanks boss. great info. I was sweating like a horse, cussing like a logger, finally took a break and thought about it . I must of pulled the shaft out of the pump. found ur video and will try again tomorrow with straw and dowel.
I certainly hope it works for you.!!!
love the amount of attention to detail you put into a simple tool. says a lot about your character. patient, and get the job done right! great video.
Thank you very much! I appreciate that.
Thank you Jerry! I would not thought of the drinking straw idea in a million years. I have a 1971 F250 390 the old distributor came out with the oil shaft stuck in it, after much wrestling. I bought a new distributor and oil pump shaft, cut off the washer of it, used the straw trick, then cut it off, in half,used long needle nose pliers and a metal rod to hold the oil shaft in place yanked out the straw and whal-LA no need to drop the oil pan. You really saved my butt- my truck was stuck at my employers parking lot! Thanks again for the video!
+Dave Durst Great! I'm glad it worked put for you. Jerry
You my friend are a life saver and so glad I found your video. Thank God he is always watching over me. Sharing it on my Facebook.
So very glad it help you!
Thank you. I used a magnet to pull the shaft up. Then I put the straw around the shaft. Then I used a skewer to pull the straw off the shaft after I got it seated.
This is the first time I have ever commented on any video. Sir, you saved my bacon so much. i had been fighting getting my distributor in for a week. Your information and home made tool using a straw idea paid off in a big way. Thank you!
+Scott Peterson Great! Glad the info helped!Jerry
I have been a MoPar man most of my life and this is my first Ford. Good people like you help make this a LOT less painful!
Thanks so much for your clever idea and hints. I successfully used a Jack In The Box Straw and small dowel per your guidance to sort out my intermediate shaft on my 1966 Ford FE 390GT motor intermediate shaft this week. The FE and SBF share same size dia and shape shafts, just different lengths. I am going to make a simpler version of your brass tube tool as well to keep in my tool box along with my spare straws. I also discovered that a set of long nose Harbor Freight Needle Nose pliers worked well on my FE. I managed to get the shaft wedged using my straw tool and needed the pliers to un-wedge it. I also used my pre-lube shaft to check the shaft was properly in before putting the distributor back in. So again thank you for the video.
+Cdr MG Brattland USN-Ret So very glad it helped! Jerry
My boyfriend wanted me to tell you that the straw trick worked perfectly and saved him hours worth of work. He is very grateful, thank you!!
I'm so happy the simple little idea was so helpful. That was the whole point of the video. Thanks for the positive response.
you helped me big time, I literally just came into the house frustrated because i am building a maverick and was attempting to prime and couldnt get old distributor on that i made a priming tool out of to set in to the rod, it seems offset, now i know whats up, im heading back out there to do the straw trick.. thanks alot fot video
Thanks for the straw trick -- saved me from cursing my Ford in front of the kid. I used a 7-11 slurpee straw and two chop sticks as the dowel-- brilliant !
Glad it worked for you! As they say "where there's a will there's a way"!
This was excellent information. I have a Ford 400 and it seems that the shaft was installed upside down and it pulled out of the pump. The retainer is at the bottom of the shaft. I used assembly grease in a 5/16 socket and got it back in the pump but it of course the grease then wouldn’t release the shaft without pulling it back out. Now that I know the angle and the straw trick, I am confident I can do it without dropping the pan...for now. I should probably flip it over sometime. Update: back on the road! Thanks a million!
We live, we learn! No real reason to flip untill the next engine teardown. The only issue is the pump end doesn't have as much of a bevel as the distributor end which helps the insertion of the distributor (it's more pointy).
gtlad the video helped.
Hey Jerry.... . . . . . Love this tool ! Ya know, Im a 65 yr old WOMAN who has spent my whole life in the construction trade. Mostly big stuff. Roads, Bridges , Airports. Im a heavy Equipt operator , welder, crane operator, even a Merchant Marine. When I first started back 50 yrs ago it was tough trying to get "Da Boys" to teach me the tricks.... so I started following the 'Old Guys' around the const site. Those guys were AWESOME! They would Make a Tool, to Make a Tool. Ive learned that it doesnt take intelligence to be good at what you do... ya just have to understand your trade. Ive always leaned on LOGIC !
. . . Nobody takes the incentive to 'Make it Work' somehow. Being a Merchant Marine, you find yourself out in the middle of the ocean on a broke down Tug Boat... you make do. Thats when human ingenuity kicks in and you INVENT the tool or part to get you home.! I have to thank My Maker for giving me LOGIC instead of intelligence. I love having to figure my way out of situations when theres no Home Depot down the street. And thats where the "OLD GUYS" are a God send.
Thanks Jerry.... for the tool idea... and for having the WANT to invent it!
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. * IRIE MON !! *
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WOW, WOW, WOW!! Thank you so much for your comments. I too had a back ground that helped me figure things out. I grew up on a farm and of course we had to figure out and FIX things. There was no going down to the store and buy new.I'm a retired Captain out of the airlines and the same is true as in your case out in the middle of the ocean, that when you have a problem at 37,000 feet you best figure out the best plan of action.Thanks again! Jerry
Just saw your reply. Girl you are a hoot!! I absolutly wish you the best of luck on your "on the road again trip". I think you'll do just fine!
You saved me! Thank you! Had this same prob but with the retainer had slid to the bottom making it a bit more difficult but still worked using your straw method! Used a green lemonade straw gripped to the oil pump shaft to guide it back in its hole and a Phillips screw driver through the straw to push the shaft out. l also used a pair of needle nose pliers to grip the straw still while I pushed out the shaft. It worked! Distributor is finally back in l! Thanks again!
HA, I hope you drank the lemonade before using it on the shaft! Glad it worked for you.
Thank you!! I built the tool with some fuel pipe and brake pipe. Worked awesome!!
Great! All it takes is a little ingenuity.
@@jerrychristopherson888 Yep. I dropped it in to the oil pan but was able to fish it out with a magnet.
@@slowshop Outstanding!!
Thank you for this! Explains perfectly what is going on when changing the distributor on my 70 Mustang!
So glad this worked for you! Keep those Mustangs going!!
Jerry
You save me 1 day of pay work !! Thanks a lot...
So very glad it helped you out! Jerry
Awesome! I’m scared to death of dropping that shaft. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Jerry. I was able to get it done with a magnet, screwdriver and the angles and understanding this video provided.
***** So very glad it helped!
Incredible and simple fix, plus perfect detail as far as how the rod actually goes in the engine and into the pump the right way. Thank you.
Thanks for you kind words!
Jerry, you are quite welcome. The little things like this and knowing about pitfalls and solutions is so welcoming when one has not encountered a certain repair to have this stuff as second nature. Knowing one can make a tool like this to get the rod in place properly is such a relief too.
Well, the thing that I think is so fantastic is the "invention" of TH-cam. It allows like never before the experiences of others to be shared by millions of people. I never in my wildest dreams thought there would be over 25,000 hits on my little video!I do light machining and welding and I have watched hundreds of videos on both subjects. I have learned ALOT!!
Jerry, I wholeheartedly agree. My first experience with youtube and "how to" videos happened about 10 years ago when I was trying to learn about lawn mower carburetors. They are incredibly simple and yet the presenter took HIS time to post the how to, and opened my eyes to the benefits of these videos. In addition, the clear presenting of the ins and outs of how the carb parts work and how to clean, set up and adjust them to make them run at optimal result. was a terrific benefit to me and to many others. Thank you again for being such an asset to your fellow man. Blessings to you, Jerry
Wow thanks so much, trying this with a magnet was driving me crazy. Got it done with the straw in 20 seconds.
Hi. Do you have to remove the aluminum cap first or you pulled up the straw right thru the cap? This is what he doesn’t explain. Thanks
Thank you sooooooo much sir!!!!! I needed this!!!!
Very happy it helped you! Jerry
Very very helpful video! I’m facing this problem. I’ll try to fish it out somehow in a few hours, once I get some daylight.
Thanks a lot.❤️🙏🏼💪🏼
Fishing it out has been done. Some out the distributor hole and others through the oil drain hole! Best of luck! Jerry
You are a genius! So simple, but worked great!
Thanks for your kind words! Jerry
Awesome video! Thank you so much.🙂
great video, wish I had this tool, I just about screwed my motor up putting a msd distributer on because I didn't realize the shaft fell out, it ran for 30 seconds before I realized what was going on. hopefully I don't have to tear the motor apart I hate mechanic work
I cant thank you enough for this video.
Very happy it helped you!
You're the man. Thank you so much for the brilliant idea.
I dropped my oil pump shaft in my pan on 89 mustang 302HO. I really need to fish it out . I did not have the funds or engine hoist to be able to pull the pan. instead I have been running the car for awhile with the pump shaft in the pan. figured I build a engine when the rebuilt stocker went but its been a while with no issues and lots of max power burnouts and plenty of miles. I could of used a tool like this. very nice .
Mine self also on a 460 and i can find it even with a magnet 🧲 😥
Great ideas thank you for sharing these!! It helped me alot!! Thank you
Thank you so much Sir, just did this to my boat. for some reason my oil shaft had locked on my distributor and when i pulled out or tried to pull it out, i had to force it out????with a little clank/clank noise (hah! shit moment)> had to lightly pound out shaft from dist. never happen before??? You Sir are some kind of genious ??? i have to try to retrieve the clip yet, but this video helped me greatly, Thank You Sir!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! terry s. -5/12/2020
Ya sometimes those shafts can really get stuck in the distributor. I wouldn't worry too much about the clip, it's not likely it will come up from the bottom of the pan to do any damage. The oil pump can't pick it up either. Now you will have to install the old one (or new one) without the clip, because it's impossible to install with the clip on. That's just fine and will work without any problems. Just the next time you remove the distributor be mindful that it could slip off. Now it's time to find that perfect straw to reinstall it.
Best of luck! Jerry
To answer your last question I'll try and answer it here. (You Tube is slow in letting my answer questions for some reason).
The only reason for the little clip is to prevent what happened to you. So now that it has happen ( it didn't do what it was supposed to) you can still install the shaft (with a straw) and the engine will operate just fine. Don't give it a second thought. I'm glad you were able to retrieve the clip. Should you at some time in the future have to remove the distributor know, that the shaft might want to come out with the distributor, or it might decide to fall off half way up and fall back onto the oil pump. Just know that it could happen. Save the clip for when you do an entire engine overhaul (or perhaps a stroker job) HA!! Best of luck! Jerry
Jerry, thanks for the replay. I bought an intermediate shaft and it does have the clip about in the middle. Think I will try it from the top. I will upload the pic as 1995 Ford Ranger 4x4 4.0L Oil Pump Question?
I don't know if this is exactly the issue you have, but it sure sounds familiar from what you described. Check out this TH-cam video and see if it helps you. I was right in saying that it is important to mark the position when taking it out, because it is TIMED. There is another video on the subject after this one. Check them all. th-cam.com/video/oUQpngRn-agJ/w-d-xo.htmlerry
Thanks for the briefing! Very useful! Though, I’m the one whose shaft not only lost the oil pump hex, but it stuck in the middle somewhere and blocked the engine)) thanks god it did otherwise I would have burnt it. I managed to fish it using an endoscope with a hook. The reason I lost it - wrong installation with a retaining ring at the bottom, which I used to fish by the way😂 what shall I do now? How can I install a new one from top without a retainer and not loose it once again? Shall I glue it to the distributer with a drop of superclue?
Putting in a new one shouldn't be any harder than using the "straw method". I'm asuming you got the other one out?
What hapened to the keeper on the old shaft? If it fell off somehow it will probably will be fine at the bottom of the oil pan. The whole idea of the "straw" is so you will have control of the shaft and guide it into the oil pump hole.
I would NOT glue it to the distributer, because it would be very hard to determine if it went into the pump properly. Plus there is a fair amount of "slop" in the connection so it might not stay in proper alignment to stick in the oil pump receptacle. That connection between the two (dist. and oil pump) is basically a "floating" connection.
Good luck and keep me informed.
Jerry
The old one is out. I found the retainer on the bottom of the shaft, near oil pump. I bet smb installed it wrong. I’m not gluing it after what you said. Thanks again!
Thank you for sharing my friend! It sure helped me alot!!
Thank you sooo much, I had this exact problem with my 60 F250
Glad it was helpful!
Exactly the info that I needed very helpful,
Just saw your video! I'm changing distributor on a 460 in a lincoln mark iv... Oil shaft is leaning to the side. I originally thought it was engaged and I started car. It ran for a second but I heard grinding noise. I immediately turned it off. Luckily, oil shaft is leaning to the side. I tried a screwdriver but shaft won't stay in the middle. I'm assuming it came out of the pump and is resting there. I'll try the straw technique and see if I can reset it!
I hope it works out for you.
Great teaching...
Thanks!
Simple but very smart. Great video. I have that problem right now. Can I order that tool from you. Or I can make the 2 one you displayed
I'm so very sorry, I didn't make the tool to sell, just to give others a chance to make their own. The straw idea is very simple so long as you find the right straw. It takes a while to find the right size straw, the right ID and the right wall thickness, but they are out there. I think I got mine at WalMart . Best of luck-Jerry
So what do you do when the oil pump shaft will not come out of the distributor shaft on a 1995 3.8 liter? Take a pair of pliers and put it on the shaft and take a pair of needle nose pliers and lever between the pliers on the shaft and the bottom of the distributor shaft and pry the oil pump shaft out. There is a small ring in a groove at the top of the oil pump shaft that jams inside the distributor shaft hole that prevents the shaft from falling out. Tap it back in afterwards. If the gear and spacer bushing have to be removed put 2 - 1/8" drills bits in the holes to align them when hammering them back on with sockets, to line up the holes for the roll pins. Always mark the distributor housing position to the block and the rotor and reluctor positions to the distributor housing as well as the gear and spacer bushing positions so they go on the right way as the roll pin holes are slightly offset from true center. Use a paint marker if possible.
Thanks for your input! I don't have any experience with the 3.5L engine, so I hope your input here helps someone who does.
Thanks,you helped me with this video👍🏿
Jerry thanks for making this tool and providing the videos. I have a Ford 351w in which I need to remove the oil pump shaft. It has the retainer clip on it. How could I pull the clip off to remove the shaft? Thanks
Wow! That is a problem for sure! That "clip" is a one way thing that offers a lot of resistant in one direction (the very direction you want to go). I don't know of any way to grab hold of of the shaft (it's a long way down the hole) so you could overcome the resistance of the clip on the shaft. BUT it might be possible. Guys have taken out distributers and the shaft was so stuck in the bottom of the distributor that they pulled the shaft out with the distributor. Apparently the clip slid off the entire shaft.
I wish I had great idea to get it out other than droping the pan, but unfortunatly i don't.
Best of luck Jerry
OK thank you sir, thank you for quick reply, I'll pull the pan the engine is out of the car just my engine stand is home made and kinda difficult to work with, lol Anyway I'll get it done. thank you again have a great day!
Patent this Jerry… make a couple more.
When I made this thing, I had no idea there would be so much interest in it. So the idea of patenting it wasn't in the cards. If for no other reason the high cost of obtaining a patent was outside of my pocketbook.
Will this also be true with a 312 Y Block? My oil pressure gauge started bouncing around like crazy instead of being stable and even would drop some on acceleration. My friend told me that, was happening because of a worn oil pump shaft, needs to be replaced.
Just saw this video. Spent the last 2 hours fishing mine out. Do you have the K&S part numbers for the 351C shaft? Thanks!
I wish I saw this yesterday before I dropped my shaft into the oil pan. Instead of tearing down the motor to retrieve it I just bought another shaft for $11. It has the clip on it. My other one didn't. Does this have to be installed from the bottom? This video is 7 years old so I don't know if I'll get an answer. Maybe if I take the clip off I can install it with a straw. I have a bare block in the garage. I'll practice on that. I don't want a pile of these in my oil pan.
Sorry you didn't see the video eariler. The new shaft will work just fine, but you will have to take the clip off to install it from the top. If you wanted the clip on than you would have to install from the bottom (no fun). The shaft will lay in the pan and will probably not be a problem unless you go upside down. HA. Do you know for sure that it went all the way to the pan? Some times it just comes out of the oil pump and just sits there like I showed in the video. Best of luck! Jerry
@@jerrychristopherson888 I heard two clunks when it fell one when it hit bottom and one when it fell over. I turned the engine over by hand to make sure it wasn't binding anywhere. The straw and skewer were in my kitchen drawer. Great tip. Thanks. I was concerned about the pre load on the valve adjustment. The Chilton's Mustang book said 1/4 turn beyond zero lash. I watched a few videos and one said a half turn one said 3/4 turn and one said one full turn.. I thought I went 3/4 when I first put it together That's why I didn't trust Chilton's. Maybe that was a misprint. I just replaced broken rings on number 5 and I didn't want to tear it apart again. My son said I could use a strong magnet to move it close to the drain plug and retrieve it that way. I'll try on my next oil change. Thanks again. Great video. Very helpful
@@alshotrodsandratrods8780 Sounds like you did the right thing by turning the engine over by hand. like i mentioned in the video there have been guy's who have been able to "fish" it out of the drain pluge hole. Best of luck! Jerry
Clever, thanks for sharing
a piece of fuel line will work to with enough determintation lol i did it it my 352fe
got a used arp shaft, can I use my o.e clip from my orignal pump? seemed like the clip moved way to easily and would slide off.
also at the tip of the oil pump with the shaft in near the distributor end....should there be a wobble room?
the shaft into oil pump turns and feels free/snug like it would pump good oil..
The ARP shaft #154-7904 should have a clip, but if you got a used one it might have gotten lost. The original clip should fit the end that fits into the distributor as it's the same size, 1/4 hex as origional. I measured one of my original shafts and the clip is about .750 inches from the top. Jerry
Simply brilliant.
Hi Jerry are you selling tool you made?
Jerry, Working on a 1995 Ford Ranger 4.0l XLT 4x4. Ordeal started with replacing the camshaft position sensor on the back of the engine under intake manifold. Have upper intake off and cannot get new part in. I think the old intermediate shaft spun inside the camshaft position sensor and rounded all the splines. I want to put in a new shaft but short of pulling the engine and dropping the pan I wondered if your approach would work in pulling the old shaft? Only problem I see is that the ring you show on the shaft in this video would probably prevent me from pulling the old shaft through the boss and out from on top. Am I right?
Bummer- Well, I sure wish I had some experience with that particular engine. I did go to a mechanic that is familiar with your engine and asked him about the shaft you talked about. He said that the shaft was held in by a O-ring (to keep the oil in). If that IS the case then grabbing it "somehow" and pulling it out, overcoming the resistance of the O-ring might work. Seems to me there might be a timing issue there also, so be aware of that also. like I said I have never seen one of these engines, so what I would suggest is to go to a mechanic you trust and are able to talk with him about it. I find it very easy to go to the "back" of the Ford dealer and talk to a mechanic, they are usually very helpful.Best of luck.Jerry
Jerry, I am going to try it this weekend. Need to find some tubing. Have bought some magnets, grippers and needle nose vice grips just in case. The 9/32 tube is too small. So onwards to Fleet and Farm after work Friday. Who would dare say that 62 year guys don't have a good time on a Friday night.
PS. I'm too old to drop the pan in the middle of a minnesota winter.
Ah yes I remember Minnesota's winters very well, as I grew up in northern Minnesota.Again, I encourage you to ask someone up there that is familiar with that engine just how to do it..
Jerry, I've been trying so hard to seat my distributor, and now I'm almost positive it is because the rod is no longer seated in the pump. I don't have the tooling available to make one of your tools. I may give the straw/dowel combo a shot, but it makes me nervous as one already we had to drop the pan. Would you consider making another and selling it?
Just read another comment further down the page where someone asked the same question. Sorry.
There are two possibilities. One is that the shaft is out of the pump and is just siting on the side of the pump, the way to tell is to use a "proper sized straw" and carefully slide it over the top of the shaft, now IF you are able to easily turn the shaft that means that the shaft is NOT in the pump. Now is the time to slowly pull the shaft up until you can reinsert the shaft back into the pump. The second possibility is the shaft is IN the pump (lots of resistance to turn), but the distributor hex isn't matching the shaft hex. This will keep the distributor from going in that very last half inch or so. In this case the gear on the distributor and the camshaft gear ARE in mesh (so you won't lose timing) you can just tap the starter while having someone pushing down on the distributor and it should pop in. What you are doing is turning the pump shaft to match the distributor, it only takes a slight movement of the engine for this to work. I've done it many times.When you start this process be sure the engine is set so the number one cylinder is on top dead center on the COMPRESSION stroke and that the rotor will FINALLY sit at approximately the one o' clock position looking from the top. Finding the correct straw can take a while (try Wall Mart). To help in finding one take one of those little 1/4" bits that are used in screwdrivers and use that(hex) to go and find a straw that just barely fits over the bit (best if heated). These bits are the same size as the distributor shaft (on small blocks that is). Best of luck! And merry Christmas!Jerry
Great advice, Jerry. Thank you. I have a feeling I am dealing with both issues. The hex rotates pretty easy, but I'm nervous to lift it and lose it. The second half is certainly true because lodged or not, the distributor shaft is out of rotation with the hex. I'll be brave after Santa visits and try again.
How do I go about getting one of these tools from you will pay good money for it
Sam- I'm sorry to say I never intended to make these tools to sell. That's why I showed how to use the simple "soda straw" method. For those who do have the tools to make one I showed that on the last half of the video. My apologies.
Jerry
thank you so much
I took my cam shaft synchronizer off my 2005 Ford Freestar. However the oil pump shaft retrieval came off along with it and it's stuck on the synchronizer. How can I take it off because it's stuck on there
Boy I wish I could help you, I have no experience with that engine. I'm afraid I only have experience with the older engines. Sorry.
Jerry Christopherson thank you. I figured it out. But your video actually help out alot. Thanks again.
can that shaft that drives the distributor suddenly BREAK? after running flawlessly, i see my motor cranks, but no turning of the rotor...any ideas anyone? ( ford 289 )
It is posible, however there other things that can go wrong, A. The pin (1/8 inch roll pin) That holds the gear to the shaft could have sheered causing the gear to spin on the shaft. B. The gear itself could have worn enough that the teeth no longer engage in the camshaft ( this ALWAYS happens if you use a cast iron gear on a steel roller camshaft, ask me how I know!!). If it did break one has to know that something happened in the oil pump! Be sure to check all these ideas. Best of luck and let me know what you found out. Jerry
thanks....
I love you
do you take paypal? how much for the tool, I am a painter, and own my own business so I don't have any spare time anymore to make my own
+Brandon Keele I'm sorry to say I don't sell the tool. It's too labor intensive to make it worth the effort to try to sell them. That's why I show the simple idea of using a soda straw to get the job done. I was at a "McAlister's" Sandwich Shop (deli) recently and their red straws work. Best of luck.Jerry
..if you're selling those, i'd like to buy a set..
I'm sorry to say I don't sell them, I only showed a way of DIY. The brass ones are far too time consuming to build to make it worth while to sell. If they were made in China they might be cost worthy. The straw idea works very well, it just takes time to find the right one that fits. Best of luck.Jerry
How to do it with clip on
James - Sorry for the delay in answering your question I was away for the holidays.
Now for your question, "how to replace the shaft with the keeper on". Well, sorry to say, without removing the oil pan you can't!
If your engine is in a vehicle and you can't remove the oil pan easily (is it ever easy??) the only thing you can do is remove the keeper and install it as the video shows. The thing to remember is when or IF you ever remove the distributor the shaft MIGHT stick to the distributor shaft so it will pull out (or drop off halve way up) of the oil pump. The way the shaft fits into the distributor there can be some "suction" (or sludge) that prevents the separation when withdrawing the distributor. That is the purpose of the keeper to keep the shaft IN the oil pump when removing the distributor. Apparently there are many engine builders that don't seem to know the importance of that little keeper when assembling an engine.
I'm absolutely AMAZED at how many people have visited the sight for this problem.
Best of luck
Jerry
Can I purchase one from you?
Mike- So sorry I never made them too sell. That's why I show the easy straw and wood dowel method.
Jerry
Good lord. This is a frustrating video! I found myself yelling at my phone "spit it out"! I use to be a bad stutterer .with voice and speech lessons I pulled through thank god
How can I buy this
I'm sorry Jerry I never made these to sell. That's why I show the easy soda straw and wood dowel method.
Do you sell that tool?
*****
***** No, i made one for a friend, but it's too labor intensive to try and sell them. That is why i made the suggestion with the soda straws because it was so simple.