'72 114 distributor...
 

ok, have a '72 250 with the dual zeniths.
been parked for 2 1/2 yrs with a bad head.
finally finished all the top-end work and put it back together.
it made it 4 blocks before dying. when i checked for spark, it had none.
when i checked the distributor i find it does NOT move!!
Any Idea what would cause this?
I assumed the timing chain snapped, but the cam still moves and the compression does not sound off.
so...what now???

tanx.

~Robert

If I recall the distributor drive off off the horizontal shaft can move upward if the distributor isn't held down. It may not go down until it lines up with the oil pump as it drives the oil pump from the other end.

I have seen one car (in 20-someodd years) that sheared the woodruff key for the sprocket that drives the oil pump and distributor due to a locked distributor. I guess the same would be true of a locked oil pump, but pull the distributor out to check if the distributor is free. While it's out, check to see if the drive piece turns.
Of course the distributor could be 180 degrees out and just moved ever so slightly upward....that would make it disengage from the drive tangs. Check the easy stuff first.
Regards,
Randy D.