Distributor Gear Question.

[julven]

Jay and YB members, I have a sbc with a solid flat tappet cam. I just traded for a MSD Pro billet distributor and it has a bronze drive gear on it and was wondering if I should change it to a melonized gear with this type of cam? I have always thought that you can run the bronze gear with any cam but I was told different today as a buddy lost all the teeth on his bronze gear with a solid flat tappet cam in a sbc 3 days ago. If you can what is some reasons his might of failed? Thanks in advanced Jason

[Jay Allen]

Jay and YB members, I have a sbc with a solid flat tappet cam. I just traded for a MSD Pro billet distributor and it has a bronze drive gear on it and was wondering if I should change it to a melonized gear with this type of cam? I have always thought that you can run the bronze gear with any cam but I was told different today as a buddy lost all the teeth on his bronze gear with a solid flat tappet cam in a sbc 3 days ago. If you can what is some reasons his might of failed? Thanks in advanced Jason
I will tell you this, I use bronze on EVERYTHING, including my daily driver. When you wipe a gear out like that, it tells me that he has SERIOUS valve train issues. He may not want to admit it, but he has some real bad problems and the gear showed it first.

Put the bronze gear on the cam IMHO. Did you call whomever ground your cam? They should have an opinion. This is part of what I do. I attempt to educate the consumer the best I can.

Good Luck on your decision.

[sam curry]

where would such a problem be spring pressure,oil,harmonics, i have seen this before but never knew why it did what it did

[julven]

Thanks Jay!

[Jay Allen]

where would such a problem be spring pressure,oil,harmonics, i have seen this before but never knew why it did what it did
You are on the right track.

[julven]

He bought this cam from Comp I told him to give them a call and see what they had to say. If it was oil would you look at quality, quantity or a pump problem? On the springs I hate to say it but he bought the heads as a kit with the IDEA the springs are good to .600 lift so they should be fine so I don't have any specs nor does he.


As for me calling my cam grinder which was Lunati to ask about the gear I would rather be on my own. The service is not there and they do nothing but point fingers at what I could have done wrong any time I had a question. You spoke with me on the phone one day and gave me service that I would have never gotten from the BIG Corps (about the cam doctor). That is why my new short block will have one of your cams and is why I asked the question here for you gained my respect for what it is worth with that phone call. Thanks Again Jason

[Jay Allen]

On the springs I hate to say it but he bought the heads as a kit with the IDEA the springs are good to .600 lift so they should be fine so I don't have any specs nor does he.
OMG. This speaks VOLUMES!!!

He has so many issues and he doesn't even know it.

Thanks for the kind words and good luck!

[mike gerlach]

One other thing to consider is if the distributor is bottoming out on the oil pump..that is the gasket under the distributor is not thick enough and allowing the entire assembly to push down against the oil pump, causing a huge load on both the pump and the gear......that will clean the teeth right off...

mike

[Shawn Morrell]

One other thing to consider is if the distributor is bottoming out on the oil pump..that is the gasket under the distributor is not thick enough and allowing the entire assembly to push down against the oil pump, causing a huge load on both the pump and the gear......that will clean the teeth right off...

mike

Yup, happened to me..