I ask this question about a week ago but no one answered me and I have searched everywhere and can't find an answer. I just got my motor back and I was putting the opti up hyst to line it up and went to pull it back off when the input shaft pulled out of the back of the distributor. The shaft that has the 2 seals and goes into the timing gear. The 2 seals held it into the gear while i pulled it off and the input shaft isn't keyed of splined where it goes into the opti. How do I know how to put it back in and keep it in time? Do I have to take the cover back off to line it up???
By the way it is an autozone 95 opti with my cap on it. and if I have to take the cover off...what do I look for to get it back in time??? Or is this part not supposed to even come off???I need some help on this because I want to be putting the engine in here within a few days. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

not sure i understand
did the little shaft come out its only 1.5 to 2 in long and has a double spline or thick spline on each side just find the spline and line them up

 

You're thinking of the '93 opti that is driven by the splined shaft. I am talking about the newer style that is driven by the dowel pin off the cam. the peice that the dowel pin goes in came off. There is the two rubber seals where it goes into the cam gear but where it goes into the distributor isn't keyed or marked or anything.It's just like on the crank hub, it isn't keyed and you can put it on anyway you want. Only on the opti it will make the slotted disk in the opti off and mess up the timing.

Anybody else know anything??????????

 

my bad

 

TTT

someone has got to know this

should i post this in advanced tech?????

 

If this drive mechanism came off the optispark and remained stuck in the front cover on the cam (which is what I think you are saying), then the opti is bad and needs to be returned. That, in no way, is suppposed to come off.

If I were you, I would get a GM opti. I don't know what you paid for your AZ unit, but you can get a complete brand new one for ~$200 from Jason Cromer or Dal Slabaugh.

 

Yes that is the peice I am talking about. The round disk that has the hole for the cam and has a shape in it like a 3-leaf clover and is about 3/8in thick. The nose that goes into the cam gear and has 2 rubber seals is connected to the disk and where it goes into the opti is just like where it goes into the cam gear only without the seals. It just pulls out and like there is nothing to hold it in anyway.

By the way it costs $129 from autozone. I didn't want to pay the extra money b/c my cap is still good. I'll probabally give autozone a call tonight and see if I can return it.

Any other thoughts. Has this happened to anyone else.