Here are things to check on your Chevy

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Bob

The distributor pin that broke on the road was original distributor on BEAUTY the `42 Pattern 13 C60S so it only had about 12000 miles on it. Why it broke I have no idea. As it broke on the road I used what I could find as a replacement in that case a tempered split pin from a nearby hardware store. If they had not had pins I’d have used a cut off nail. Now I carry spare pins. Strangely the whole in the shaft on that one was not egged.

Normally when I replace them I use a tapered ream and tapered pin expanding flattening both ends.

The other two loose gear distributors have come off high mileage engines that I was rebuilding. The latest one which also had the gummed oil path on the shaft was from an engine that had sat for probably 10 years that I know of. Though well gummed the shaft it self doesn’t seem badly worn. But now that you mention it I’ll mic the shaft and the bushings on the distributor before reassembling.

[Barry Churcher]

Phil & Bob
It's as you say, a good idea to check the shaft and bushings. If the shaft is wobbly in the bushings it affects the point opening and closing ( dwell). They used that distributor up until 1962 and it was bullet proof. The one GM came out with in 1963 for the "new improved" 230 cubic inch engine was garbage. They always needed shafts and bushings.
Cheers,
Barry