distributor grear wear

carlp said:

Quick queston. I just put a carbed 5.0 together and used and 85 distributor along with a roller block and cam(86 block, e cam). I had to take the engine apart after about 15 miutes of run time for other reasons, but I noticed that the distributor gear had a bad wear pattern already starting on it. What could be causing this? Was I sold the wrong year distributor with the wrong gear? How can I tell the difference from the cast gear vs. the steel gear used in the roller motors? Please help! I ned to put this thing back together tomorow.

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Are you sure the distributor was seated all the way down into the block? The 85 dissy has a steel gear and shouldn't wear. As far as I know the 85 and 86 block is the same, so the 85 dissy should fit. Just an idea, call MSD and see if the distibutor shaft is the same length for those two years. The distributor will be different because of the 86's fuel injection and computer, but if the length of the shaft is different then that is your problem.

The length of the shaft with the carb'ed and EFI Fox Mustangs are the same. The EFI distributor shaft is a bit longer, but this just means that the driveshaft sits in the distributor shaft deeper. When ordering from FRPP, the shafts can be different, but the carb'ed distributor is fine with either shafts.

With that said, I would check to make sure you have a steel gear. The cast is usually dark grey with casting bumps (a texture) while the steel gear is usually smooth and a lighter grey. You can also take a file's edge and hit the gear at the collar. You want to see bright metal, not dark.

I have also heard of problems with various driveshafts from several companies.

carlp said:

I will pull one off of another EFI distributor I have.

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No you won't. They are different size.

The gear for the 85 distributor is .467" ID. The gear for the EFI is 531" ID. If you need a new steel gear fot the distributor you have. I got a Crane from Mustangs Unlimited for ~$42.