Hello when I put my oil pump in I put the washer on the bottom near the pump , I was just told the shaft is inserted from the bottom with the washer on top. Can some one point ME in the right direction . Thanks 

The engine was rebuilt I was going by the old ford unlock rebuild book it shows the washer on the bottom 

The washer goes on the oil pump end.  The shaft is installed from the oil pump end.

The washer prevents the shaft from pulling out with the distributor.  This requires that the od of the washer be larger than the id of the shaft hole in the block, making it impossible to install from the distributor end.


Lawrenceville, GA

That is where I put it ,but I was told I was wrong 

They person who told you that is wrong





54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

Thanks everyone my confidence has been renewed 

Has anyone had one come out of the distributor?  I have a ARP  oil pump shaft and removed the washer from the shaft. I think i read 
a note on Mummerts site that said it was ok to remove it.  Thanks 

Located in Harford County Maryland 

I wouldn't remove it, thats what prevents the shaft from coming out with the distributor. ARP shafts are known to have the washer on the wrong end, I don't know if that was ever corrected? When I went to install the last one I bought I found the washer was too small and it went right through the hole in the block. I had to remove the larger diameter one from my old shaft and use it. I don't know if anyone else had that experience or I just got a fluke one that someone installed wrong.

In the normal course of running the engine, the intermediate drive shaft washers are not required on the oil pump drives. It’s during engine assembly and/or performing any service work that requires the distributor to be removed from the engine that the washers are on the shafts.

The washers are on the oil pump shafts for two reasons.  The first is so that the oil pump drive stays in place during engine assembly and doesn’t allow the shaft drop out of the engine when the engine is upside down with the distributor not yet in place.  For this reason it’s important that the washer be installed on the oil pump end of the intermediate shaft.

The second reason is to prevent the shaft from disengaging from the oil pump and coming out with the distributor in the event the distributor is being removed from the engine later for service work.  Even with the washer in place on the intermediate shaft, there’s no guarantee that the shaft is not engaged in the distributor hard enough to prevent the washer from sliding off the shaft when removing the distributor.  But the washer does help in keeping the shaft in the engine when removing the distributor.

As has been already mentioned, the ARP replacement shafts for the Ford Y-Block are problematic in that the washers are installed on the wrong end of the shaft and the washer itself is much smaller than the original sized washers.  It’s unfortunate that ARP used the FE, MEL, SBF, and BBF oil pump shaft washer installation scenario on the Ford Y-Block.  While this has been brought to ARP’s attention, the ARP shafts for the Ford Y are still being offered with the both the wrong size washers and with the washers installed on the wrong end of the shaft.  It’s important that the washer be 5/8” O.D. and not smaller as it takes the larger diameter washer to keep the shaft from moving upwards in the distributor shaft hole in the block.

Maybe if everyone that purchased a ARP intermediate shaft for the Ford Y sent ARP a note about the problem, this problem might eventually be resolved.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

OK, I am confused now.  I always install the star washer next to the block under the distributor mounting end of the intermediate shaft, not next to the oil pump end.  Joe-JDC

JDC