Sorry if this is in the wrong section. My maverick that I'm supposed to race the 24th for the HS drags crapped on us. My dad was driving it just after he started it and sat for 5 minutes, he was just down the road not even 1/2 a mile. He shifted into 2nd giving it a little gas but he wasn't gettin on it. Then *pop* and it stalled and wouldn't start. Lately we have been having a problem with it not wanting to start. when we tried to start it back up it was cranking and then there was a squeal sort of noise as if there was a loose fan belt. Now it wont start at all. Could it be a power valve that got taken out with it popping? Its getting fuel and the oil level is fine. Please help asap or I wont be able to race for my first time for the HS drags. Could the dizzy have taken a crap?
Found the culprit! 5 Teeth got shaved off the dizzy gear. It was a perfect time for it to go because we just got back from buying a trailer in Toledo. It happened just down the road and we just got the trailer so it was perfect.
Well good luck. I would highly suggest pulling the timing cover and double checking the distributor base and gear height. Been there on a 351 build and the rebuilt distributors (three tries) had the gears pinned at the wrong height. Took out the cam and bottom eng bearings...
If you broke five teeth, unless the cam is a steel roller I'd condemn it.
How do you pin it at the wrong height? Its an OEM distributor but its a comp cams hydraulic flat tappet lifter cam. It was fin before, I think it was just its time to go.
"It was fin before, I think it was just its time to go."
You need to really think about that statement more. The only thing loading that gear is the oil pump. What kills that gear train is the distributor gear moving up and down in relation to the cam or the gear not being pinned correctly. Another thing is if the cam is moving front to rear out of spec will eat the gears.
How do you pin it at the wrong height? By not paying attention when you are doing the build. Same deal for the cam moving.
You really need to check this stuff out or it will bite you square in the arse. My distributors would last 2-4 weeks...
Jamie
Distributors don't just loose teeth, putting a new one in is just a band-aid, find out what caused the problem before more damage gets done.
Also realize that you now have metal debris in the oil pan.
www.advlifestyle.com 1971 Camper Special (390 / C6 / D60) 1970 F250 High Boy (NP435 / Dana 24 / No engine, rusted to hell and back body, project to combine with above.)
1966 Rustang (289 / C4 Project stalled for ages) 1989 Jeep Cherokee (4.0 / Auto / D30 / D44 / 35's) 1996 Jeep Cherokee (4.0 / Auto / D30 / D35)
Also realize that you now have metal debris in the oil pan.
And no telling where else in the engine. How old is that cam?Comp has had a lot of cam failures over the last couple of years but most of that has been lifter failure and lobes wearing down.
I also agree with rancher50 about the gear locations. I've never had the problem but have read where a lot of others have.
There is a diagram somewhere on here I saw just the other day
Tell us more about your Maverick. I have a 72 my kids bought me last year that I am just waiting on some money to roll my way.
She is a real live school teachers car with around 70k on her. Looks rough from sitting for a long time though. I want to go 5.o/4 speed on it but right now it is a 200/c4
clint
As said before, now there are 5 large hunks of metal in your motor. It will cause much more damage. My brother has a Duster with a 440, and the button on the cam sheared off and eventually found its way to the crankshaft, and boom seized the motor. The crank, block, and 2 connectiong rods are now only good as a boat anchor.
My 63 Dart once had a problem with the distributor gears being sheared off. So I probably replaced 3 gears on it. They are plastic, and all the teeth would stay on the gear, just hanging on by a thread. Finally, I was swapping one out, and I spun the distributor, to see if I could find any issues with it, and soumeting bound up and it stopped. I replaced the distributor, and never had another problem.
1961 Ford F-100. Chrysler 318, 727.
1968 Ford F-250. 360, 4 speed. 17.34 at 79 mph. SOLD
I found out that the gear on the cam got messed up to, so I'm buying a new one that's the same exact cam and upgrading to a Pertronix distributor. Physically, how do you pin it at the wrong height? we tore the front end apart and flushed the oil pan out. I guess I'll have to check the oil pump out by priming it.
Sorry if this is in the wrong section. My maverick that I'm supposed to race the 24th for the HS drags crapped on us. My dad was driving it just after he started it and sat for 5 minutes, he was just down the road not even 1/2 a mile. He shifted into 2nd giving it a little gas but he wasn't gettin on it. Then *pop* and it stalled and wouldn't start. Lately we have been having a problem with it not wanting to start. when we tried to start it back up it was cranking and then there was a squeal sort of noise as if there was a loose fan belt. Now it wont start at all. Could it be a power valve that got taken out with it popping? Its getting fuel and the oil level is fine. Please help asap or I wont be able to race for my first time for the HS drags. Could the dizzy have taken a crap? 
Sorry.
