riplt1

I'm running a retro fit hydraulic roller cam in a carbed sbc. I believe its cast steel. I originally had a bronze distributor gear on it. The timing kept jumping off. I pulled the distributor out and the teeth on the gear were worn to a point and knife edged. So I assume the cam gear was eating the teeth on the softer bronze distributor gear.

What type of distributor gear should I be running with my cam?

cambirdracing

iTrader: (4)

Call the cam manufacture and ask them. Some put on a steel gear and some put on a cast gear. That's on the cam.

01tam6

iTrader: (1)

I would really look at your distributor and make sure the install height is right. Sure a bronze gear will wear quicker but it should last many years. The spacing of the distributor gear is as important as a ring and pinion. If it is not right it will wear.

riplt1

Oh really?? I didn't think about that. I figured all small block chevy distributors were the same length. So the distributor may not be quite long enough and the the helical gear on it may not be all the way meshed with the cam gear?

01tam6

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, there are a lot of variables such as heads milled, gasket thickness, block being decked, or a little difference in distributor housing or distance from distributor mounting surface on intake to cam. They make some nylon spacers that you can use or msd makes distributors with an adjustable collar to set height.

Big Al

iTrader: (1)

Another cause of brass gear wear is the oil pump. If you have a high volume high pressure pump it puts a lot of stress on the gear.

Al 86 IROC BBC, Toploader, 9" Ford.

riplt1

Is there is an easy way to check the distance between the distributor seat on my intake manifold and where the gear will mesh with the cam?

riplt1

I'm running a high volume but not high pressure oil pump. My heads have not been touched although my intake has been port matched. My block is a 350 block out of a 79 pickup truck. I contacted my cam grinder and he said to run a cast steel gear. I only had my bronze gear in for a couple months.

I bought my distributor off a friend of mine that had it in a crate zz4 350 with high compression RHS heads, a custom cam, and a victor jr intake. I only had the bronze gear in my engine for a couple months and it already started wearing hard. So most likely the dimensions on his engine are different than mine right?