I pulled my dist, but drive gear appeared to be attached to the lower oil pump shaft. Apparently, this kept the oil pump shaft connected to the cam, so I couldn't use the conventional screwdriver/electric drill trick.

Am I missing something?

96 5.2L Ram 1500

 

Need to pull the drive gear out. Then use a long hex shaft in a drill to prime it. Make sure you get that drive gear back in the right spot.

 

How do I pull the drive gear - long needle nose?

 

Or the neat little three claw pickup fellers. (I love mine......) Keep in mind, it needs to rotate as it comes out. Also keep in mind, that reassembly isn't as simple as it used to be. The distributor needs to be pointing at a specific spot when all is said and done. Procedure is outline in the FSM. May have to have sync reset after its all back together.

 

I looked under dist, camshaft, oil pump in the 2001 FSM floating around and couldn't find the procedure. What should I look under?

Thanks for all the help.

 

Bah, can't find it now.......

In any event, reinstallation goes something like this:

Make VERY sure the engine is set with number one at TDC, firing position. (both valves closed.)

There is an alignment mark on the distributor for cylinder number one, and there is a mark on the block that the rotor needs to be pointing at with number one ready to fire. (good luck seeing that with the intake in place...... )

When all is said and done, you want number one cylinder ready to fire, the rotor pointing at the mark on the dist, and both of those lined up with the mark on the block. Keep in mind, the rotor will move as the distributor goes down, and the gears mesh. The oil pump drive is going to have to be in the right position for the tab on the dist, to go into the slot on the drive as well. Its a fun process, but, ya gotta do it right, or the engine simply won't run.

 

I've pulled the dist, after marking the block - nothing to it.

The problem is the gear doesn't seem like it wants to come out at all while trying to turn it with the splines. It is still attached to the oil pump shaft.

 

It IS the oil pump shaft. You might be able to get it to break loose by putting a LONG screwdriver into the slot, and turning it in whatever direction that it will rotate up and out. Keep in mind, you are also turning the oil pump.

 

Got it. Thanks for the help. The gear never came out though. I worked it up the cam with the screw driver - by turning it back and forth ccw then more cw.

It finally cleared the can, but still engaged the oil pump. I hooked the drill up to a long screw driver and let it go in the cw direction.