Rebuilt a 56 Loadomatic/T-Bird distributor yesterday using new shaft & gear (wanted a fresh unit to test dual-point conv. kit). Was originally an old, unused rebuild with a new bushing, and since it will eventually go on a fresh motor, I ignored the ancient/stretched oil seal.

Was a bit tricky due to lack of dealer holding fixtures and specialized measuring tools, but likely turned out OK. Except, end-play ended up a couple thousands short of the manual's min. specs., and so did gear location (didn't seem far enough off to warrant driving out pins and re-drilling).

By my calculation, this should put the gear in the right position (assuming end-play is normally taken up when distributor installed)? But, I'm wondering if .002" tighter than recommended will lead to trouble down the road? I hammered the shaft as hard as I dared to max. the end-play. Could it be that FoMoCo specs. allowed for overheated motors & lack of scheduled lube intervals? Opinions?

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

0.002” tighter on end play isn’t expected to be a problem.  You didn’t say exactly how much end play you actually had but as long as there is some, don’t be overly concerned.  Having too much is generally a bigger problem than being on the minimum side of specifications.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)