Panhead distributor problem

[Pete Engelman]

Good morning
My friend bought a 1964 Panhead. He did a bunch of maintenance and painted it. When he tried to start the engine yesterday it fired a couple of times then the distributor lifted up and broke the mounting bracket. He said the inner bolt hole wasn't in the greatest shape but the outside bolt hole threads were in good shape. Can anyone help us out to diagnose this problem.
Thanks
Pete::::::::::;;;;;;;;;;;

[Rubone]

It sounds like the timer shaft seized for some reason. I've never heard of that happening. It may have caused damage inside the camchest as well. Is it an OEM timer?

[Jerry Wieland]

Forty years ago a friend of mine (who should not have) did some camchest work on his 55 Panhead and failed to reinstall the spacer on the outside of the timer drive gear and it slide out and destroyed the bottom of the timer shaft and lifted the timer out of the hole about a 1/8". Jerry

[Pete Engelman]

Thanks I will post what he finds tomorrow when he gets it apart
Pete:::::::::;;;;;;;;

[Pete Engelman]

He got it apart and found the distributor shaft is bent. It took him an hour to get it out. See attached picture. The spacers were all in place. He said the inner bolt hold down hole is stripped but the outer hole is good. There shouldn't be any real lift force on the distributor. Could have caused this damage?
Thanks
Pete::::::::;;;;;;;;;;;;

[Jerry Wieland]

He got it apart and found the distributor shaft is bent. It took him an hour to get it out. See attached picture. The spacers were all in place. He said the inner bolt hold down hole is stripped but the outer hole is good. There shouldn't be any real lift force on the distributor. Could have caused this damage?
Thanks
Pete::::::::;;;;;;;;;;;;

Well first off that is an aftermarket POS self advancing timer from Tedd. If nothing obvious wrong with the rest of the motor I would find an OEM timer and put it back together, Jerry

[duffeycycles]

I agree with Jerry.Those junk.They never run right.If you can't find a real one try Vulcan Motor Works or a Mallory.Neither look stock & both are electronic ign.

[T. Cotten]

Does your friend still have the handlebar control, Pete?

....Cotten

[Pete Engelman]

He doesn't have the manual advance any longer. I mentioned he should look at running the manual advance but he would need to find the control and handle bar. He believes the original distributor had dual points and I don't know if they had flyweights or manual advance.
Thanks
Pete:::::::;;;;;;;;;

[duffeycycles]

Dual point was earlier than '65.'65 had auto advance

[Pete Engelman]

Problem found
The bushings in the cam cover for the timer gear and idler for generator drive are oblonged so all the gears in the cam case were shifting under loadt
thanks for all the help
Pete::;;