Thanks for the reply.
The hardened pump drive is in "forever" - my concern is the insertion depth into the end of the distributor - is a half inch correct / enough? A while back the Ford SVO Helpless Line had no idea what I was talking about. But, the 2006 SVO Performance catalog does explain the difference between the early and late drive shafts - I can use either, assuming that ~1/2" is enough insertion depth
The dist. driven gear was changed out for an MSD steel piece to match the E-303 camshaft steel drive. I have a history with bronze gears that isn't good for a street engine - 3 to 5000 mile changeout exercises isn't my favorite way to spend a Saturday afternoon when I could be driving the car. Besides, I'm an O.F. and it hurts to lay on my back too long on cold concrete

Also, why dump the HV pump. It is not a high pressure unit, which I neither need nor want. I have run this same basic design pump forever in 351's and FE's with no problems.