I got my lock collar on and about to drop in the distributor. I've never used one of these and almost rather would leave it off but maybe I can be reassured it will be fine...

Does this look right? I know you don't know what my clearance is from the picture but just in general. I didn't use loctite on the set screw yet... Not sure if I should. Thanks

Yes that looks right. I would use blue loctite.

Thanks a lot

first I would drive out the roll pin in the plastic collar & add flat shims (speedway has a kit for $10) to reduce the axial clearance to .005". Yes blue loctite & I'm assuming you put the collar on snug then set the dist in place down in there to set the height then carefully removed the dist then tightened up the setscrew.

What's the purpose here? Does the gear want to lift off the cam?

That's just the 2 way male/female connector thingy laying on the table there I imagine....

Always thought the lock collar went up against the body of distributor so the shaft would not move up & down . . . usually there is a spot there for the roll pin to go through the distributor shaft . . . the gear won't move, as the distributor is held down on with the upper outside collar . . .

The dist shaft does not bottom out on the oil pump shaft, there is a lot of clearance there for the oil pump shaft to move up & down,, & it does,,fixed many of them with the lock collar like the OP. is doing. before, timing light jumps all over,, after, nice & steady

I may be wrong, but I thought 'the bouncing timing thing' was a small block issue,due to the cw rotation. I've never had any of my big blocks have their timing bouncing around. My 360 definitely has the timing fluctuations (which I need to fix someday). Maybe I've just been lucky with my big blocks?

Mine is a big block, & it did jump around, clock,or counter direction has no bearing on timing fluctuation.

Good to know.

Why not file a small flat spot or start a drill bit hole for the collar screw?
With all the vibration, even with locktite, seems like it would move.

I've heard just the opposite, it's a BB problem, not needed on SB because of the rotational direction. BB pushes up, SB is opposite direction.

Never used one, never had a problem. If there is that much vibration between gears there is something wrong. I am still not really understanding the theory on these. The cam gear is forcing the intermediate shaft upwards which would take up any, other than oil, clearance. How would the intermediate shaft jump up and down if the gear is constantly forcing it up?

The gear under load, WOT, versus coasting will change what it does in the motor
The timing changes and moving around are usually due to wear on the cam gear, oil pump gear, timing chain and slop between the distributor shaft and the slot in the oil pump gear

What does engine speed have to do with it Cab? The gear continues to turn in the same direction??? The oil pump acts in shear loading not thrust. I actually don't see how there could be any slop between the dist. flat head and the gear slot if the gear is always forced up when the engine is turning.

I filled the drive gear slot with a leather piece, which should make the same job adding a cushion as a plus, and still have the jumping timming at iddle

I don't think jumping timing at idle is caused by this on a big block. It logically doesn't make sense. It's either, as Cab said, worn timing gear set or distributor.

Happy birthday Nacho. I'm gonna kick back & watch some pro FOOTBALL today, (we don't do hand eggs). OP the main problem with it is alot of slop makes for spark scatter when timing it at idle as does slop in the timing chain. You're right when "loaded" when accellerating all the play is taken out but steady speed or letting off the gas it can & will fluctuate. Maybe not a dealbreaker but the builder who goes to the nth degree in all areas will be the one that gets to kiss the trophy girl.

Thanks Robert, my Good friend!!! LOL. I was hearing the real football from Spanish league on the radio.

I do ( or did ) have the same problem... fit the leather piece into the slot which actually makes the same than the lock ring and still have the same jumping timming at iddle maybe +/- 2°or 3°. I wouldn't state that as a problem if just at iddle, because of course giving gas should be tight due the gears being loaded, however I would like to get a steady reading at iddle.

My car is toptally dissasembled anyway... will take care of that I hope next month.

allways read this kind of threads just on case I find something new.