Composite Oil pump drive gear...
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,145
Likes: 133
From: East Chatham, New York
Composite Oil pump drive gear... Most of you LT1'ers that have opted for a Billet cam had to take into consideration whether to use the Bronze gear (Now discontinued by Crane anyway since Crane is gone) or suffer excessive wear on the gear that is driven by the cam and turns the oil pump. I'd rather refer to it as the oil pump drive gear than the distributor gear but that's what the books call it.
Another source of gear excessive wear is opting for the HV Melling oil pumps. These pumps put a lot more load on the drive gear so they wear out frighteningly more quickly. I'd lost one otherwise perfect 355 motor because of this. I was in a 20mph school zone, driving my daughter to school when I heard a high pitched squeal. My daughter and I shot each other looks like, "wth was that?!", then I looked at my gauges. Whoops! Zero Oil pressure! I shut it off and pushed it out of the way. Peeling the motor apart found all teeth of the drive gear were gone. With the replacement 383 solid roller, I put in a bronze gear. Having to peel that motor apart 7 months later, that bronze gear was about a month away from also being toothless. Inquiries to various lists/BB revealed that most guys said, (a) don't use a HV pump and (b) use the polymer style drive gear.
I found the poly gear at Jegs but it is a .500 shaft size. The LT1 requires a .427 shaft. So, just like the guys said, "find a machinist to drill a bushing for it and make it a .427 shaft hole.
After ordering and dropping off at my machinists, viola! Here it is...
Don't know if you can see it but look how sharp the tooth edges of the Bronze gear are that I took out are compared to the composite.
Another source of gear excessive wear is opting for the HV Melling oil pumps. These pumps put a lot more load on the drive gear so they wear out frighteningly more quickly. I'd lost one otherwise perfect 355 motor because of this. I was in a 20mph school zone, driving my daughter to school when I heard a high pitched squeal. My daughter and I shot each other looks like, "wth was that?!", then I looked at my gauges. Whoops! Zero Oil pressure! I shut it off and pushed it out of the way. Peeling the motor apart found all teeth of the drive gear were gone. With the replacement 383 solid roller, I put in a bronze gear. Having to peel that motor apart 7 months later, that bronze gear was about a month away from also being toothless. Inquiries to various lists/BB revealed that most guys said, (a) don't use a HV pump and (b) use the polymer style drive gear.
I found the poly gear at Jegs but it is a .500 shaft size. The LT1 requires a .427 shaft. So, just like the guys said, "find a machinist to drill a bushing for it and make it a .427 shaft hole.
After ordering and dropping off at my machinists, viola! Here it is...
Don't know if you can see it but look how sharp the tooth edges of the Bronze gear are that I took out are compared to the composite.
If the person you bought the cam from had the proper oil pump drive gear put on the cam none of that would have been a problem. It's not a problem with billet cams, its a problem with an improper gear on the camshaft. There's no reason it shouldn't last just as long if not longer than the stock setup.
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,145
Likes: 133
From: East Chatham, New York
Just for future reference, what does a customer ask for in the scenario you present below?
Example:
<Customer>"I need a turbo cam for a strip/strip car that with, all other things being commensurate, will yield about 600 rwhp. Oh.. the oil pump drive gear needs to be a <?????>"
I will mention that I get some of my used parts (LS1 Brake setup, spare LT1 intake, etc) from a shop here that is exclusively Fbody related and he has a shelf full of sheared tooth oil pump drive gears from various cars. Some with stock cams, some not stock. The stock cammed ones came from cars that had the HV oil pumps.
Example:
<Customer>"I need a turbo cam for a strip/strip car that with, all other things being commensurate, will yield about 600 rwhp. Oh.. the oil pump drive gear needs to be a <?????>"
I will mention that I get some of my used parts (LS1 Brake setup, spare LT1 intake, etc) from a shop here that is exclusively Fbody related and he has a shelf full of sheared tooth oil pump drive gears from various cars. Some with stock cams, some not stock. The stock cammed ones came from cars that had the HV oil pumps.
If the person you bought the cam from had the proper oil pump drive gear put on the cam none of that would have been a problem. It's not a problem with billet cams, its a problem with an improper gear on the camshaft. There's no reason it shouldn't last just as long if not longer than the stock setup.
Last edited by mightyquickz28; Jul 11, 2010 at 07:04 AM.
If the person you bought the cam from had the proper oil pump drive gear put on the cam none of that would have been a problem. It's not a problem with billet cams, its a problem with an improper gear on the camshaft. There's no reason it shouldn't last just as long if not longer than the stock setup.
Trending Topics
Ditto on "buy the right parts the first time"
So many of you "save" a little trusting the wrong folks then spend many times what you "saved" fixing the problems caused by cheaping out the first time.
http://www.impalassforum.com/vBullet...d.php?t=242741
So many of you "save" a little trusting the wrong folks then spend many times what you "saved" fixing the problems caused by cheaping out the first time.
http://www.impalassforum.com/vBullet...d.php?t=242741
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Verdad Gallardo Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,145
Likes: 133
From: East Chatham, New York
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,145
Likes: 133
From: East Chatham, New York
I love how some of you pompous jerks come on peoples threads, acting all high and mighty, throw some condescension in, but never leave any tangible information.
I've asked you a more than a couple of times what the so called 'right' part is. What Cam gear, what distributor gear. You never answer. Just saying 'the right part' is about conclusive as saying "That's not my favorite color..."
Keep on being worthless purveyors of your pointless submissions. I know you gotta be you.
I've asked you a more than a couple of times what the so called 'right' part is. What Cam gear, what distributor gear. You never answer. Just saying 'the right part' is about conclusive as saying "That's not my favorite color..."
Keep on being worthless purveyors of your pointless submissions. I know you gotta be you.
Ditto on "buy the right parts the first time"
So many of you "save" a little trusting the wrong folks then spend many times what you "saved" fixing the problems caused by cheaping out the first time.
http://www.impalassforum.com/vBullet...d.php?t=242741
So many of you "save" a little trusting the wrong folks then spend many times what you "saved" fixing the problems caused by cheaping out the first time.
http://www.impalassforum.com/vBullet...d.php?t=242741
Has anyone taken these composite gears out after some use and see what they look like? My LT1 has chewed up a couple gears, and I would like to know how well these composite gears work? If they work good I will be doing this mod.
I can understand where you are coming from, but did you read the thread he posted? There was some good reading in there. Anyway, if you didn't catch it, read the last page on the link Dwayne posted. It just might answer your question.
Last edited by stryker1320; Jul 11, 2010 at 07:24 PM.
The answer is to buy good parts with the right gear.
The AI billet cams come with the right gear not a standard one. I have had no trouble in tens of thousands of miles and friends experiences are the same. One friend's car we cammed(AI package) at 165K miles, today the motor has over 200K on it, never changed the drive, though we did put a white spring in the pump.
The AI billet cams come with the right gear not a standard one. I have had no trouble in tens of thousands of miles and friends experiences are the same. One friend's car we cammed(AI package) at 165K miles, today the motor has over 200K on it, never changed the drive, though we did put a white spring in the pump.
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,145
Likes: 133
From: East Chatham, New York
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,145
Likes: 133
From: East Chatham, New York
Aha... I only knew they went bankrupt and laid off everyone. I didn't check back periodically to see if they'd reopened (Understandably)
From the Official Crane Cam site...
"Performance industry icon Crane Cams has reopened under the new ownership of S&S Cycle, and is actively engaged in manufacturing and sales operations of its ignition and motorcycle lines. "
From the Official Crane Cam site...
"Performance industry icon Crane Cams has reopened under the new ownership of S&S Cycle, and is actively engaged in manufacturing and sales operations of its ignition and motorcycle lines. "
