HEI thrust washer?
 

I have some HEI distributors that have a thrust washer between the gear and the housing. Some don't.

Anybody know the deal with that? Is it required? Where can you get them?

Re: HEI thrust washer?
 

the washer/shim was there to take end clearance away. When the dizzy is spinning, the shaft wants to walk up, or out of the housing. the shim keeps everything in it's proper place.

Re: HEI thrust washer?
 

A long time ago (pre-HEI) I picked up a few distributor thrust washers at a Chevy dealership. Can't recall if there were different thicknesses...

Re: HEI thrust washer?
 

Good pics on this site and scroll down for info on thrust washers and clearance..
http://www.rustpuppy.org/ignition2/Ignition%202b.htm

Also you could check with Napa to see if they have a rebuild kit or a package of shims. Chevy dealers should have them also.

Re: HEI thrust washer?
 

You guys are the best. I knew I'd get a good answer here...:metal:

Re: HEI thrust washer?
 

Actually the cam rotation pulls downward on the distributor gear. The main reason to keep the space shimmed to a minimum is to avoid timing variations upon decceleration. When the RPM drops the distributor gear would tend to "float" if there was too much space.