Distributor Problems - Seeking Advice

[AJ Zurn]

I have a 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback - primarily stock 289engine with an aftermarket 4 barrel intake, 600 Holly carb, mallory coil and hooker headers...stock power steering.  Engine has been running very strong but last three weeks the engine would stop running ...would crank but not stay running, after the engine cooled for a little while it would fire up and run good.  I confirmed battery connections and fuel supply.  Sometimes it was getting harder to cold crank so I changed contact points and set at .016.  It ran good but still stopped for no apparent reason. Finally, I took it to the shop...they said it was the pick up coil in the distributor.  My shop of choice replaced the original distributor with a rebuilt one.  Last Saturday I went to pick up the car, it ran good but the second time they turned over the engine, it turned slow and basically the starter went out and the relay burned up.  We bumped the starter with a crow bar and got the starter to turn over slowly.  It was closing time Saturday so they said they would change out the starter Monday.  I went to pick up the car on Monday, and was completely horrified to hear the engine running as if it were about to seize up.  The engine was full of oil but no oil was getting up to the valves.  The car had been driven around the block perhaps in this condition.  My guess is that the new distributor was of a different length than the old one but I really don't know at this point.  Two questions for you guys out in Mustang forum land. 1. Can anybody share tech experience about changing distributors and experiencing oil pump failure; and 2. Do you have advice for me to self determine the extent of engine damage or should expect to rebuild this one.  Best regards and I thank you in advance (this is the first time I have ever read, posted or participated in a forum)  --------AJ

[66GTKFB]

As far as I know, a distributor with points has no 'pick-up coil', so your shop may be telling you something 'odd'. A stock distributor does have a condenser (or capacator - same thing) that can go bad. A Mallory coil would give a stronger spark but that would not prompt a distributor change. There is only one distributor that will fit, so unless it was screwed up in a rebuild, it should be long enough. At the bottom of the distributor is a hex rod about 10 inches long that drives the oil pump. When a distributor is removed, sometimes that rod gets lifted up and could drop into the oil pan - results, no oil pressure. With a 65, the normal indicator is a light (except for GTs). It does seem that whatever this shop did, your car got worse. At this point, find another shop and a lawyer.
Jim

[rmodel65]

ouch i agree it sound as though they might have dropped the oil pump d/s into the oil pan

[Soaring]

I agree.....get a wrecker to take that car to a more reliable mechanic and have them access the damage, and why the damage was caused.  If they ran that car without any oil pressure, you have an engine that needs a complete overhaul.  Get a lawyer to sue the first company if that is the case. 

[Soaring]

It has been 5 days since you posted your inquiry and you have received 3 answers, but you have not responded to pertinent possible causes of your problem posed by the respondees.  Why not?