distributor gears
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 2,192
Likes: 343
From: Allenton Wisconsin
distributor gears
When the intake was changed on the 9-car the brass dist gear was more than 60% worn, and now the dist is out of the blue car it's brass gear has substancial wear. So the question is what type of gear is best for billet camshafts. Deffinately not brass,so that leaves iron, steel or melonized. What do you all think. Thanks T
Dr. Detroit
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 10,097
Likes: 4,027
From: New Braunfels Texas
The Crane melonized one is the one to use now........when Comp came out with the composite gear in 07'.....I tried a few.....they were fine but heard stories from others in the area about chipping and cracking.
Jebby
Jebby
Racer
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 336
Likes: 81
From: Southeastern MASS
My research when I bought the hydraulic roller cam a few years back pointed me to the GM Melanized gear. I don't have the motor running yet but I did a fair amount of research before I bought the gear. Good luck.
Peter
Peter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 7,739
Likes: 630
From: Unreconstructed, South Carolina
ponder yonder monkey wrench
acceptable gear material ?
what if oil pump's load exported to a dry sump ? what if springs < 210 over nose ? what if springs > 900 over nose ? ...
...what if 1.5:1 RAR?, what if 1.75:1 RAR?, Flat tappet ? Roller ? what if? what if? what if?
what if oil pump's load exported to a dry sump ? what if springs < 210 over nose ? what if springs > 900 over nose ? ...
...what if 1.5:1 RAR?, what if 1.75:1 RAR?, Flat tappet ? Roller ? what if? what if? what if?
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Had a 1976 L-82, 4-sp
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 5,338
Likes: 1,213
From: Some days your the dog and some days your the hydrant.
Royal Canadian Navy
Maybe I should replace my "plastic" body with melonized metal? 
Anyway, I'm quite happy with a "plastic" gear. Seems NASCAR engines have them too according to Comp Cams.
Anyway, I'm quite happy with a "plastic" gear. Seems NASCAR engines have them too according to Comp Cams.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 7,739
Likes: 630
From: Unreconstructed, South Carolina
there's lotsa nascar classes ... many folk think cup when they hear/speak nascar ... cup has No distributor or cam-driven oil pump (they're dry sump).
But, if a plastic comp gear works for you, then by all means run it.
But, if a plastic comp gear works for you, then by all means run it.
Had a 1976 L-82, 4-sp
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 5,338
Likes: 1,213
From: Some days your the dog and some days your the hydrant.
Royal Canadian Navy
They work for lots of folks. The guys bashing them should try using one first. But that's par for this forum. Just like rubber vs poly, etc. 
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 10,046
Likes: 675
From: FL
Per my engine builder, I was running the Comp composite gear. I have had to replace them ~6k miles due to wear and lash increasing. This year, based on his recommendation, I swapped to the Lunati Everwear which is the melodized gear. Was a lot tighter meshing to the cam gear.
Lunati 89026 is the part number for a .500 shaft.
Lunati 89026 is the part number for a .500 shaft.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,837
Likes: 1,028
Per my engine builder, I was running the Comp composite gear. I have had to replace them ~6k miles due to wear and lash increasing. This year, based on his recommendation, I swapped to the Lunati Everwear which is the melodized gear. Was a lot tighter meshing to the cam gear.
Lunati 89026 is the part number for a .500 shaft.
Lunati 89026 is the part number for a .500 shaft.
Pull it at 12K and have a peek/picture.
A GM gear will last 100K easy with stock oil pump.
I have seen plenty of gears of bronze or what not you can shave with.
As for billet cams, I think its just more "Race Proven" BS.
(Meaning, use our expensive gear as well.).
There IS a lot of great new tech, but hype is all over my 1918 Western Auto Catalogue.
Nothing new.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,837
Likes: 1,028
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,445
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
AFTERMARKET Billet steel cams can't use a melonized dizzy gear. It will eat it's self up and fill your oil with metal. Bronze is something most people gave up on. I've only had one Comp Cams poly gear fail and it seems to me that they must have been available before 2006. But I only have one because someone couldn't follow directions at comp cams and failed to install the sleeved gear on my custom billet cam. So I did get a free poly out of them. It broke on a race weekend and I've always carried a spare ever since.
Last edited by gkull; Jan 5, 2020 at 09:16 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,445
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,455
Likes: 977
From: RI, Now Franklin/Nashville TN
I feel bad for you guys...there is so much confusion/misinformation out there about the right distributor gear for all the different types of materials used with different cam materials.....
If I went billet, Tim's combo is^^^^ is the way I would go, hands down, if I could. One of the reasons I went Howards roller cam with my build in 2014 was howards specifically advised that I use my stock distributor gear and stock fuel pump pushrod with the retro roller cam which is exactly what I did...6 years and going, all is perfect..none of this wear nonsense......good luck with the right choice op.....