Billet solid roller cam eating up distributor gears!!!!
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,379
Likes: 4
From: rome ny
Billet solid roller cam eating up distributor gears!!!!
i have a comp cams billet solid roller in my 396. it has a pressed on hardend iron distributor gear. i also have an msd dual sync dist. it came with an iron gear. comp said it should be ok. i set the height of the slip coller, hopefully correctly, and followed break in procedures. after about 2 weeks i pulled the dist to check the gear and one side of the gear was worn out to a point. so i called comp cam and they said that that is not the correct gear to run with this cam, after they said it would be fine. so i ordered a poly gear from them. its been ibn there about a month and yesterday is ripped half the teeth off.
i do have a lot of cold oil pressure, 80psi, and a high volume ,high pressure pump. they told me to lokk at the cam gears and see if its damaged. it seems to be ok. so i called mds and they said i should be running a brass gear. thats what in going to try next.
mds said to readjust the slip coller, drop it all the way down and rhen raise it .010 then add your gasket.
has anyone had this problem... any input will help. im very upset with this and have never had this problem before.. ill add some pictures..
i do have a lot of cold oil pressure, 80psi, and a high volume ,high pressure pump. they told me to lokk at the cam gears and see if its damaged. it seems to be ok. so i called mds and they said i should be running a brass gear. thats what in going to try next.
mds said to readjust the slip coller, drop it all the way down and rhen raise it .010 then add your gasket.
has anyone had this problem... any input will help. im very upset with this and have never had this problem before.. ill add some pictures..
Last edited by mos90; Sep 29, 2006 at 08:45 AM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 914
Likes: 1
From: Redding Ca
I recently had a very similar problem. I had 195 AFR heads with Super Ram and MSD distributor (fixed collar) on my 406. The cam was also a billet Comp Cam with iron gear and MSD with iron gear.
The match up of the Super Ram intake runners was not good (all out of the box stuff) with the heads so we used a slightly thicker intake manifold gasket to get a better passageway. This raised the intake manifold and thus the distributor gear from the cam gear. Within 2500 miles both gears were virtually demolished.
We changed the distributor to a slip collar so it would slip further into the cam gear. I also changed the cam to an LPE 219 (also ground by Comp Cams, it is a cast cam). Everything has worked fine ever since. I suspect your problem somehow is related to the depth and mesh of the two gears like mine was rather than the material the gears are made from.
The match up of the Super Ram intake runners was not good (all out of the box stuff) with the heads so we used a slightly thicker intake manifold gasket to get a better passageway. This raised the intake manifold and thus the distributor gear from the cam gear. Within 2500 miles both gears were virtually demolished.
We changed the distributor to a slip collar so it would slip further into the cam gear. I also changed the cam to an LPE 219 (also ground by Comp Cams, it is a cast cam). Everything has worked fine ever since. I suspect your problem somehow is related to the depth and mesh of the two gears like mine was rather than the material the gears are made from.
Last edited by GeosFun; Sep 29, 2006 at 10:52 AM.
Team Owner
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From: OBAMA IS HITLER
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
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Put a brass gear on it until you figure it out. I work in an engine shop part time for a friend. The iron filings are death to the cylinder walls.
Also, you could file a groove on the machined surface of the housing that slides into the block. This will give it extra oiling. If I recall, I put the notch at 3 0 clock. Also, check the runout on the dist shaft. I had one bend approx .007. Cost me a motor.
Also, you could file a groove on the machined surface of the housing that slides into the block. This will give it extra oiling. If I recall, I put the notch at 3 0 clock. Also, check the runout on the dist shaft. I had one bend approx .007. Cost me a motor.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,379
Likes: 4
From: rome ny
my cam shaft is a billet shaft with an "everwear" pressed on gear, according to comp this morning, they said that i should NOT run a bronze gear, it will ruin the cam gear. that the iron gear is the one i should run.
lack of oil may be the problem. i will have the groove filed in and run a thinner oil and see if it helps..
lack of oil may be the problem. i will have the groove filed in and run a thinner oil and see if it helps..
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 12,518
Likes: 19
Only trying to help. From the looks of it, there advise is not working. The groove in the distributor is something to feed it extra oil. It should not "need" a groove filed in it, but could not hurt. I would strongly recommend checking the run out in the distributor shaft.
The lack of an oiling groove is not the root of your problem.
The lack of an oiling groove is not the root of your problem.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,241
Likes: 9
From: Houston TX
i believe comp claims the polymer gear will work with anything. it certainly costs enough. so either the polymer gears are junk, or you have some problem not related to the materials.
please let us know what you determine, as i'm about to drop a billet core cam into my 396. i had planned on using the polymer gear.
thanks.
-michael
please let us know what you determine, as i'm about to drop a billet core cam into my 396. i had planned on using the polymer gear.
thanks.
-michael
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Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,379
Likes: 4
From: rome ny
Originally Posted by Pete K
Only trying to help. From the looks of it, there advise is not working. The groove in the distributor is something to feed it extra oil. It should not "need" a groove filed in it, but could not hurt. I would strongly recommend checking the run out in the distributor shaft.
The lack of an oiling groove is not the root of your problem.
The lack of an oiling groove is not the root of your problem.
msr.. the top picture is a comp composite gear.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,097
Likes: 2
From: Richfield Utah
Originally Posted by Pete K
Put a brass gear on it until you figure it out. I work in an engine shop part time for a friend. The iron filings are death to the cylinder walls.
Also, you could file a groove on the machined surface of the housing that slides into the block. This will give it extra oiling. If I recall, I put the notch at 3 0 clock. Also, check the runout on the dist shaft. I had one bend approx .007. Cost me a motor.
Also, you could file a groove on the machined surface of the housing that slides into the block. This will give it extra oiling. If I recall, I put the notch at 3 0 clock. Also, check the runout on the dist shaft. I had one bend approx .007. Cost me a motor.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...stributor+gear
EDIT: Never mind Pete, I have it figured out. It is a groove in the bottom dist housing that is VERTICAL. I had HORZONTAL on my mind. Thanks...
Last edited by Steel Breeze; Sep 29, 2006 at 03:32 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,097
Likes: 2
From: Richfield Utah
Originally Posted by mos90
Last edited by Steel Breeze; Sep 29, 2006 at 04:38 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 3,525
Likes: 2
From: Houston TX
Mos90,
I had the same issue with a CC solid roller and the factory HEI. I ate through the original gear and then nearly went through the spare HEI gear I had. At that point, I began to suspect an alignment issue. Sure enough, it turned out that my MRII actually was placing the factory HEI too high. I wound up replacing the gear with a melonized part and buying a thin distributor gasket from the local speed shop. I ran it like that for some time and pulled it, to find that it was fine.
I ultimately pulled the distributor in favor of MSD IP with adjustable collar. I even had to reset the collar for the C4SP. Properly set-up, this distributor can fix pretty much any alignment issue. I believe you had said that you were running an MSD with adjustable collar, if that is the case, then you need to lower the distributor further down in the hole to fix the mis-alignment issue. Your distributor is not adjusted properly.
Did you set the collar without gasket installed until there is no clearance? If aligned propoerly, I believe that you will see that your wear issues will be a thing of the past.
Mine has now been together for nearly two years with no signs of wear.
This too will pass.
Aaron
I had the same issue with a CC solid roller and the factory HEI. I ate through the original gear and then nearly went through the spare HEI gear I had. At that point, I began to suspect an alignment issue. Sure enough, it turned out that my MRII actually was placing the factory HEI too high. I wound up replacing the gear with a melonized part and buying a thin distributor gasket from the local speed shop. I ran it like that for some time and pulled it, to find that it was fine.
I ultimately pulled the distributor in favor of MSD IP with adjustable collar. I even had to reset the collar for the C4SP. Properly set-up, this distributor can fix pretty much any alignment issue. I believe you had said that you were running an MSD with adjustable collar, if that is the case, then you need to lower the distributor further down in the hole to fix the mis-alignment issue. Your distributor is not adjusted properly.
Did you set the collar without gasket installed until there is no clearance? If aligned propoerly, I believe that you will see that your wear issues will be a thing of the past.
Mine has now been together for nearly two years with no signs of wear.
This too will pass.Aaron
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: OBAMA IS HITLER
Originally Posted by Muffin
GMPP
Melonized Steel Distributor Gear
Pn 10456413
$29.95 from Pace performance.
Melonized Steel Distributor Gear
Pn 10456413
$29.95 from Pace performance.
Isn't a "melonised" (surface treated for resist wear) gear the same thing as "hardened" gear??
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 3,525
Likes: 2
From: Houston TX
Originally Posted by Hot Rod 90
Hold it. mos90 said in the beginning he did use a hardened dist. gear.
Isn't a "melonised" (surface treated for resist wear) gear the same thing as "hardened" gear??
Isn't a "melonised" (surface treated for resist wear) gear the same thing as "hardened" gear??
Expensive!Align the distributor gear, then after a bit of miles check the wear. All should be in order.
Aaron
Race Director
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 14,924
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From: Merritt Ils Fl
I will side with Aaron on this issue. I have two,maybe three books that say Melonised. Aaron where can I find a good explination of properly aligning the distributor gear? Don't think it is in any of my books.
My point was that others were talking "melonised" and mos90 already used that type of gear.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,097
Likes: 2
From: Richfield Utah
Originally Posted by Hot Rod 90
this may apply, and be helpful:
http://www.cranecams.com/?show=article&id=26
http://www.cranecams.com/?show=article&id=26
