I rebuilt my Durango 5.9 due to soft plugs leaking and sludged up. I have it set in place, just need to install intake,distributor,and accessories.

I am having trouble with getting the distributor to sit down where it needs to. It is the distributor I took off engine, but really don't recall if it was correct when removed. The drive tang is fully in the slot and bottomed out, yet the distributor is sitting with the O ring about an 1/8" above the block. It needs to drop in about 3/8" further.

I removed the drive gear today to make sure it is going in correctly. I put some white grease on top of bushing, reinstalled it, then removed it. The gear/oil pump shaft is seating all the way in to bushing as it should.

I measured a 318 I had behind the shop, from top of drive gear to top of dist bore/block surface . This measures the same as my 5.9. (3 3/8" I believe)

Could I have a different distributor somehow with a longer shaft, or am I just overlooking something too simple ? Is there anyone that can measure the shaft on a 5.9 Magnum distributor they have laying around, from drive tip to bottom of flange?

 

My guess is, it isn't seating into the slot quite right, and that holds it up.

 

by chance did you make sure the oil pump drive gear sleeve is seated all the way in? that sleeve is about a 1 1/8 inch long it has to be seated all the in. the drive gear for the oil shaft should be half way to 3/4 down the cam mesh gear. also while you were trying to install the distributor did you try and rotate the shaft and not the casing to make sure the tang on the bottom is seated in place?


If you have done this already I am going to say that the oil drive shaft isn't meshed up with the oil pump on the bottom, which will not let the drive gear set in the place it should be.

 

Did you put a new O-ring on the distributor? If so, it sounds like an incorrect O-ring may have been used (too thick), which can cause the distributor to not sit down all the way.

 

I measured a new distributor at O Reilly's this morning, measures the same as mine. That is leading me back to the bushing probably not seated all the way down. Gear is meshed to cam about halfway down. I did start to drive the intermediate shaft out from the bottom when disassembling, the realized it would need cleaned before it came out. I may have lifted the bushing at this time.
I'm gonna lift the shaft out tomorrow morning and take a close look at the bushing. It almost has to be lifted somewhat.

 

That bushing typically needs to be driven in. If the gear is not all the way down, it can only be one of two things - The bushing hasn't been driven in all the way or the oil pump drive has not fully engaged in the oil pump rotor.

 

I found the problem this morning. Bushing was seated correctly into block. Gear was going down to meet the bushing as it should, so the Shaft was not bottoming out in oil pump.
I went to look at my 318 again, started scraping gunk off top of drive gear when I found it. The shaft on the intermediate gear was flush with top of the gear instead of recessed down into gear. There is no roll pin to hold it in place, is just a press fit.
I have a new one coming in to AutoZone later today. Thanks!