Dumb question I gotta ask

[2wrench]

My car starts. A buddy of mine says he doesn't think the
cog gear is fully engaged at the bottom of the distributor,
that the small piece at the end of the dizzy shaft is not
fully seated onto the slot of the cog gear.

He wants to pull the dizzy and turn the cog gear as he
thinks it will then fully engage.

Could my car run at all in this condition he describes with
the dizzy shaft end not full seated into the gear below the
dizzy?

He seems to think the thing is spinning enough to run but
still not fully engaged. Could this be?

 

[Dale]

I'm pretty sure it wouldn't run at all if the distributor was not turning a full turn with each turn of the camshaft. If it ain't broke, don't fix it 'til it is broke.

 

[AltaKnight]

It is possible to turn the "cog gear" a tooth relative to the cam drive gear (it's on a helical cut so it turns as you withdraw/insert it) but it's very difficult to line the gear up at the same time as getting the oil pump tang to engage properly (ask me how I know)
The engine may even run like this if the dizzy is turned enough to compensate.
However, if the dizzy seats properly and the clamping plate fastens down ok then the drive gear is properly engaged.