it is not the oil pump shaft, the actual distributor bottomed out on cam gear with no shaft in distributor, I don't know if the intakes were milled to match something goofy with the pro comp heads I had before, who knows... this was not issue before, but I have different heads, same intakes and dist, oil pump shafts are supplied by Melling select pump, they were same as the RP I had... this is so odd....

FYI, ARE you using new or the ones from the Scarab? doofus had new gears made....

I know you like to run It hard Tim.

Kinda nice to have oil temp BEFORE the sticks get pushed all the way forward.

On my little micro boat with no cooler, It took forever to get heat in the oil ( 20+ minutes at 2500 rpm to get to 180 oil temp) THEN we would run the snot out of it (ask billy). Temps would get to 225. As soon as I got off the gas and returned to a 3000-3500 rpm cruise, the oil temp would come right back down below 190.
This was with no oil cooler and a fresh water cooling system.

Not busting your balls and I know you have other concerns at present. Just trying to help man.

gers are gear as far as size, but no I am using the gears Bob M sent with cams...

I hear ya, but never had issues last 10 years, not gonna re invent the wheel now and spend even more money, I need to go boating..... gotta stop spending money now and be done..... I will not miss boating time I don't do well with long term projects.... I am boater wanna boat LOL

Sounds like you need to mill a tiny bit off the bottom of the distributor gear collar that goes around oil pump shaft. I bet its hitting the block...

No, it's sitting too deep and hitting the cam gear... Distributor needs a shim to raise it... See pic... That scrape is from cam gear..[ATTACH=CONFIG]540955[/ATTACH]

The only time I'd consider NOT running an oil thermostat, is if I was running a water thermostat. If no water stat, I def want oil stats.

The water thermostat will help build a little heat in the oil without an oil thermostat. Most stock merc engines were setup that way.

That distributor issue sucks. I'd be very cautious on that, and want to know why that is like that. I can't see it being because your old setup was milled. I've put intakes on heads that were milled ALOT, and never had a gap like that with a std deck deal. How did the intake bolt holes line up?

Intake ports and holes lined up perfect, I have no idea why this is like this, I was on the phone with Mike T for a good half hour he said he's seen it and fix with shim... Such
An odd issue...

Talked to dart and also msd, they seem to think the distributor mount on intake was milled for god only knows what reason, but that does not answer my question of why it was not issue last year? Unless the pro comp heads pushed the intake up higher somehow... I have now stumped, myself, Scott, mild thunder, mike t, my machine shop, msd and also dart.... The general consensus is to shim distributor and check oil shaft and teeth engagement...