Distributor Gears

[Route666]

What is wrong with putting hard steel gears on your distributor when the camshaft manufacturer "recomends" a soft gear?

 

[rbohm]

if you are installing a roller cam, then you need either a bronze dist gear, or a steel gear. if you have an iron cam then you need an iron gear. most cam manufacturers "recomend" the bronze gear so as to prevent wearing the cam gear.

 

[LMan]

roller cams are steel, and stock EFI distributors use a steel gear. If you use a steel dist fear with a cast-iron flat-tappet cam, the steel will eat the cam gear away quickly and fill your motor with iron filings. You can imagine what will happen next

 

[Route666]

Yikes, I see.

Thanks for the help! Do bronze gears (on roller cams) wear fast? I've heard stories of REALLY fast wearing.

 

[HistoricMustang]

There has got to be a little "give" when the distributor gear meets the cam gear. Go with the bronze distributor gear.

I learned the hard way at Daytona years ago. Got on the starting grid and ran two laps before my "steel" distributor gear failed. About $1000 in expenses to do the race down the drain.

You can get the bronze set up at Summit and I believe it is under $40 so do it and be safe.

HistoricMustang
www.historicmustang.com

 

[D.Hearne]

I wouldn't run a bronze gear on a street driven car. Steel only for me on a roller cam street machine. I've done two cam gear swaps, and driven both, thousands of miles without failure.

 

[gp001]

DO NOT run a bronze gear. I put on a bronze gear when I first built my motor and 750 miles later BOOOOOM! My buddy was behind me on the freeway and he said my 2 exhaust tips looked like battle ship guns firing simultaneously. Scared the crap outa both of us. I switched to a steel gear and have put 15,000+ miles on it with no wear.

 

[Route666]

gp001 your story was one of the extremely fast stories I have heard.

Historic, How many miles on your bronze gear? Do you only use it for racing?

With the steel gear, anyone tried Jet-Hot low friction coating?

 

[D.Hearne]

When I initially ran either of the two steel gears I installed, I applied a generous coating of moly lube to the gear to help it break in.

 

[Route666]

Hey gp, do you have a high-volume oil pump?

 

[gp001]

Hey gp, do you have a high-volume oil pump?

Yes I do.

 

[Route666]

Do you think that would have accelerated the death of the bronze gear?

 

[gp001]

Do you think that would have accelerated the death of the bronze gear?

Hard to say. I was assured by several people that his just happens with the bronze gears. I wanted to keep a good eye on things after the failure so I pulled the distributor after 100 miles, 500 mi, 1000, 5000, 10000 and the last time at 13000 mi on the new steel gear. There was no wear on the cam gear or the distrib gear so I am tend to agree with the "just happens" theory.

 

[D.Hearne]

Do you think that would have accelerated the death of the bronze gear?

Yes, definately. A high volume pump takes more torque to turn, and this would accellerate the wear on a bronze gear

 

[HistoricMustang]

My ride is primarily used at the track with a trip down the highway after any major work on the car. Not sure how street use only would be bad for a bronze gear, but perhaps - do not know.

I do use a high volumn (not high pressure) oil pump.

The current gear has two seasons of racing on it.

Make sure you use a LOT of lube when changing the gear. I use enough to change the oil after break in.

HistoricMustang
www.historicmustang.com

 

[bnickel]

bronze gears are made for race only applications and are not recommended for street use by any of the manufacturers that make them. most of the retro-fit roller cams made now have a cast iron gear on them so you can use the stock gear on the distributor. just remember this, steel cam=steel gear, cast cam= cast gear. unless it is a retro-fit cam like i said earlier.

 

[Route666]

You guys rock! Thanks, I don't think I need to ask any more on the subject.