(nice avatar pic btw
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Not Another Distributor Gear!!!
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 411
Likes: 0
From: Palm City FL
Not Another Distributor Gear!!!
During a cap and rotor swap 2yrs ago, I noticed alot of slop in
the distributor rotor. I removed the rotor and the gear was half eaten!!
After calling Cam Motion where I had ordered the cam. he said it was strange and told me to replace the gear with another stock gear.
The cam was ground on a stock blank and should not require a special gear.
Fast forward till today...
Went to change cap and rotor and the gear was eaten again!!
I carefully inspected the cam gear and it looks perfect...
What could cause this? The gear is half worn away. The distributor spins freely and I have up and down freeplay when the distributor is installed...
WTF- Its been around 20,000mi since last changed
the distributor rotor. I removed the rotor and the gear was half eaten!!
After calling Cam Motion where I had ordered the cam. he said it was strange and told me to replace the gear with another stock gear.
The cam was ground on a stock blank and should not require a special gear.
Fast forward till today...
Went to change cap and rotor and the gear was eaten again!!
I carefully inspected the cam gear and it looks perfect...
What could cause this? The gear is half worn away. The distributor spins freely and I have up and down freeplay when the distributor is installed...
WTF- Its been around 20,000mi since last changed
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 411
Likes: 0
From: Palm City FL
Thanks Pete,
I will try that tomorrow. My car is an 86. It seems to be an oddball when it comes to distributor parts (HEI with screw down cap).
What did you replace your distributor with?
I will try that tomorrow. My car is an 86. It seems to be an oddball when it comes to distributor parts (HEI with screw down cap).
What did you replace your distributor with?
Team Owner
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 24,337
Likes: 25
From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
I think the screw down cap was to distinguish the TPI units from the other HEIs. The TPI one is shorter. I don't know if the difference is the distributor itself, or cap, or both.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 12,518
Likes: 19
Originally Posted by severe-1
Thanks Pete,
I will try that tomorrow. My car is an 86. It seems to be an oddball when it comes to distributor parts (HEI with screw down cap).
What did you replace your distributor with?
I will try that tomorrow. My car is an 86. It seems to be an oddball when it comes to distributor parts (HEI with screw down cap).
What did you replace your distributor with?
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 411
Likes: 0
From: Palm City FL
I wonder if an older shaft will fit into the newer housing?
I have several HEI units laying around. I'll have to investigate that...
Does MSD have a replacement distributor for an early FI car?
I have several HEI units laying around. I'll have to investigate that...
Does MSD have a replacement distributor for an early FI car?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,019
Likes: 1
From: Weymouth Dorset
I had a problem like this with a Range Rover V8 that had a high volume oil pump fitted and it was eating dist gears, we lowered the oil pressure a little and that solved the problem. 
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Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 88,393
Likes: 2
From: eville in
Originally Posted by adi4
I had a problem like this with a Range Rover V8 that had a high volume oil pump fitted and it was eating dist gears, we lowered the oil pressure a little and that solved the problem.
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.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 22,209
Likes: 12
From: OBAMA IS HITLER
last year, i called melling and asked about distributor gear wear with their high volume oil pumps.........tech guy said in 25 years he has never heard of premature wear with GM, although he's heard of a few on Fords.........exactly why this is escapes me at the moment, of course this is anecdotal anyway.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 12,518
Likes: 19
Originally Posted by Hot Rod 90
last year, i called melling and asked about distributor gear wear with their high volume oil pumps.........tech guy said in 25 years he has never heard of premature wear with GM, although he's heard of a few on Fords.........exactly why this is escapes me at the moment, of course this is anecdotal anyway.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 386
Likes: 0
From: Lancaster Lancashire
Make sure you are using the GM Melonised gear (10456413) and not ste 'old' iron GM (1958599) gear. This is used on all roller cam engines and is the recommended gear for Tpis cams which also don't need a 'special' gear. It can also be used with flat tappet cams.
Dave
Dave
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 3,525
Likes: 2
From: Houston TX
Severe-1,
I will say that your gears paled in comparison to my combo that used to eat distributor gears. Mine would eat through the total gear in less than 3K miles (once stranded, and the 2nd time caught in time). I eventually checked the distributor depth and determined that it was riding too high on the cam gear. This all began when I added the TPIS Mini Ram II. I eventually went to the MSD adjustable collar distributor and have not had any issue in the last 5K+ miles. I pulled the distributor this last weekend (switched to a C4SP intake), and the distributor gear and the can gear looked perfect. I again readjusted the collar an additional 0.015 to set the proper distributor gear installed height in the Weiand Team G intake.
I hope this helps,
Aaron
I will say that your gears paled in comparison to my combo that used to eat distributor gears. Mine would eat through the total gear in less than 3K miles (once stranded, and the 2nd time caught in time). I eventually checked the distributor depth and determined that it was riding too high on the cam gear. This all began when I added the TPIS Mini Ram II. I eventually went to the MSD adjustable collar distributor and have not had any issue in the last 5K+ miles. I pulled the distributor this last weekend (switched to a C4SP intake), and the distributor gear and the can gear looked perfect. I again readjusted the collar an additional 0.015 to set the proper distributor gear installed height in the Weiand Team G intake.
I hope this helps,
Aaron
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 22,209
Likes: 12
From: OBAMA IS HITLER
Originally Posted by Pete K
A high volume pump has bigger, heavier, gears. The need more grunt to turn them. Distributor gear wear on small block chevys has always been an occasional issue. I suspect he was either the new guy, or lying.
its strange he lied, i wasn't buying anything from them, it was an info hunt.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 12,518
Likes: 19
Originally Posted by Hot Rod 90
he had to have lied then. he was in his early 50's and had worked as a tech at melling for about 15 years, if memory serves. nonetheless, he was definitely not new there.
its strange he lied, i wasn't buying anything from them, it was an info hunt.
its strange he lied, i wasn't buying anything from them, it was an info hunt.
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
My custom comp cam ate through the original roller cam gear. I've since switch to the comp cam composite gear with no further issues. For the record, summit only lists the 0.500" gear but you need the 0.491" gear...learned the hard way of course.
W
W
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,189
Likes: 2
From: Austin TX
Originally Posted by Davemc1963-87conv
Make sure you are using the GM Melonised gear (10456413) and not ste 'old' iron GM (1958599) gear. This is used on all roller cam engines and is the recommended gear for Tpis cams which also don't need a 'special' gear. It can also be used with flat tappet cams.
Dave
Dave
Dan
