Dist Shaft

AA Ford Discussion Group relating to the repair and restoration of your AA Ford.
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Fairmont
Posts: 16
Joined: February 10th, 2012, 3:38 pm
Body Type: stake
Model Year: 1928
Location: Ossipee NH

Dist Shaft

Post by Fairmont »

Decided to fire up the truck tonight. The eng ran perfect when we put the truck in storage 16 yrs ago. Drained gas, coolant, removed bat and put her to sleep.Tonight, after filling fluids and checking to ensure juice down to the points, I was ready to turn the key. Retarded the timing,opened the gas shut off, turned the main out one turn and pulled the choke out. Gave a few short bursts of cranking to get gas into the system. Still no fire. Rechecked all electrics, still juice down to the points but couldn't get a plug to fire. Pulled the the cap and turned eng over by hand. The distributor shaft isn't turning. I unscrewed the cam retaining screw and removed the cam, point plate and spring to see if I could figure out what might be preventing the shaft from turning, but couldn't and will grab a manual before going any farther. I'm hoping this is a common snafu and someone will tell me a trick to fix it, but I'm more prone to think there could be a problem a little deeper. I'll p/u a manual on line this week and should be able to figure it out, just thought someone might shoot me an possible explanation this weekend. Thanks again, Bruce.
Bob C
Posts: 1442
Joined: April 24th, 2003, 11:50 am
Body Type: Mail truck, Stake tr
Model Year: 1931
Location: SO CAL

Re: Dist Shaft

Post by Bob C »

Possible stripped cam gear. Pull a spark plug out and see if the valves are opening
and closing as you crank the engine by hand.

Bob
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Fairmont
Posts: 16
Joined: February 10th, 2012, 3:38 pm
Body Type: stake
Model Year: 1928
Location: Ossipee NH

Re: Dist Shaft

Post by Fairmont »

Just checked the valves Bob, they're not moving. It looks as though I can access the cam gear through the front cover at the head of the eng. If I pull the radiator It should be easily accessible. Any idea what could of caused this? Like I said, it was running fine when we put it away Secondly, is this a fairly easy fix. (once I p/u a manual haha) Is the cam gear bolted to the end of the cam or will I have to remove the cam shaft to replace the gear. Bruce
Bob C
Posts: 1442
Joined: April 24th, 2003, 11:50 am
Body Type: Mail truck, Stake tr
Model Year: 1931
Location: SO CAL

Re: Dist Shaft

Post by Bob C »

My guess is you have some stuck valves that wouldn't let the cam turn and stripped the gear. You can change the gear without
pulling the radiator. The gear is held on with a nut that take a special tool to get it off. Most of them have been messed up
by people using a chisel to remove them. If you can't find all the old gear teeth it would be a good idea to remove the pan and
get them out. The link will show the tool to remove the nut. http://www.brattons.com/product.asp?P_I ... &PT_ID=all

Bob
SHELBY MESSER
Posts: 752
Joined: March 9th, 2009, 8:06 pm
Body Type: 75-A
Model Year: 1930
Location: Sacramento, Ca.

Re: Dist Shaft

Post by SHELBY MESSER »

Bruce, Did you remove the dist. There is only two or three things to cause the dist. not to turn. 1st- with the dist. mounted in the engine properly can you rotor(or dist. shaft) by hand, if so, remove the dist. from engine, check the length of the Dist. shaft in relation with depth to the drive gear off the cam shaft, check the length! If the same measurement is the same.(Some dist. shafts are 2 pc.) one may have misplaced. Next take a long, large flat screw driver long enough to go in the slot in the dist. drive gear and check if you can turn the screwdriver by hand, if not, rotate engine by hand or starter to see if screwdriver rotates, if so your problem is above (dist.), if not forward from here, that will be # THREE! Now # TWO IF length of dist.shaft is ok and everything else seems ok at this point, insert the dist. back in engine. Making sure it is settled all way down in the engine (rotate the dist. shaft) this will line the slots into drive gear. There should not be any space between dist. body and the cylinder head. then check to see if dist. shaft turns by hand. IF non of the above works? GO to # THREE- On the front of the engine there is a pin screwed into the timing gear cover,remove this pin and insert the pin in this hole hold some pressure on the threaded end with toward engine and turn engine by hand (fan blade works great for this). You should fill a drag on the timing gear and a slight drop when it gets to #1 cylinder (for timing the engine). If you fill no movement inside, You will have to remove the radiator, to look in this hole to see if the timing gear turns. IF nothing turns when rotating engine, this cover will have to come off to replace the timing gear. I would replace with the fiber gear in needed!!! Shelby, Louisiana.
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Fairmont
Posts: 16
Joined: February 10th, 2012, 3:38 pm
Body Type: stake
Model Year: 1928
Location: Ossipee NH

Re: Dist Shaft

Post by Fairmont »

Thanks Bob, Shelby. I'll check and see if that cam gear is rotating. If not, I'll try to locate a supplier and order one along with that wrench from Brattons. If one of the valves is stuck, can I just remove that cover to access the cam and valve assembly. I'm a little more familiar with tapping on a set of keepers to free a valve, how do you approach freeing one in an A. Bruce.
SHELBY MESSER
Posts: 752
Joined: March 9th, 2009, 8:06 pm
Body Type: 75-A
Model Year: 1930
Location: Sacramento, Ca.

Re: Dist Shaft

Post by SHELBY MESSER »

Bruce, Before checking for stuck valves and the fiber gear is stripped, you will have to replace the stripped cam gear. You can remove the lifter cover (long cover behind the carb.) to see if any valves are stuck open. If any are stuck open you can squirt some pen. oil or auto. trans fluid through the spark plug hole toward that valve, using a medium screw drive and down through the spark plug hole bump on the valve head lightly,or praise the valve down. Praise it back up and down 'til it works freely. You can check all the other valves while you have the side cover off. I would squirt all the valves through the spark plug hole just free and rust. Also I would remove the oil pan, and remove all the sludge and refresh the oil. Good luck!!! Keep us up to date!!!!! Shelby, Louisiana.
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TomH
Posts: 181
Joined: September 16th, 2009, 2:11 pm
Body Type: pickup
Model Year: 1928
Location: Eastern PA

Re: Dist Shaft

Post by TomH »

It's interesting that the truck ran when you parked it, but now the dist. shaft doesn't turn. After 40 years of storage the only stuck valves on our truck were in the open position, but the intake and exhaust manifolds were stuffed with acorns.
Need rear fenders and running boards for 1932 131" single wheel Express Body
User avatar
Fairmont
Posts: 16
Joined: February 10th, 2012, 3:38 pm
Body Type: stake
Model Year: 1928
Location: Ossipee NH

Re: Dist Shaft

Post by Fairmont »

That's what baffled me Shelby, I was there when we put it away. The only thing I'm questioning is the prior owner said that he fired it one last time the night before for old time sakes. He had owned it since the 50's and I didn't think anything of it. I'm not sure if he's still alive but will try to contact him this weekend and ask if the engine suddenly stopped running when he was running it. If so, not a big deal, it probably would have happened to me at a later time. When I picked the truck up from storage a couple of weeks ago to bring to the house the First thing I did was grab hold of the fan blade and give it a turn. I honestly figured some fuel and a little crocus cloth and I'd be nosing it through the garage door with an ear to ear. Ha Ha. Not today. Appreciate everyones help and will let you know how I make out this week. Bruce.
User avatar
Fairmont
Posts: 16
Joined: February 10th, 2012, 3:38 pm
Body Type: stake
Model Year: 1928
Location: Ossipee NH

Re: Dist Shaft

Post by Fairmont »

Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. Pulled the hood, radiator, shroud etc,etc. jacked the eng and pulled the timing cover (took a few minutes to find all the fasteners) to see about 2" of missing teeth on the cam gear. Still in a state of optimism, ran to the bench and grabbed my lrg cresent. Sizing it up nose first gave the cam a little nudge and presto, not as much as a drag of resistance. Ran into an old timer on Sat eve who's done quite a bit of A & B restoration. Said that he was once restoring a doodlebug and ran into the same problem. Ran when put away in the barn, got it home and everything checked out OK. When he went to start it the dist shaft stopped turning. He figured with the teeth being thin and brittleness of the gear that the abrupt engagement of the starter in turning the eng over just cleaned out a space worth's of teeth. I'll order a gear from Brattons along with a wrench (thanks Bob) this week and will hopefully have her running next wknd. I don't think I've had this much fun since I was in H.S. keeping my 63 Apache 10 running. Haha. Bruce.
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