Was just looking at the bronze distributor gear and it's showing some wear. No telling how many years it's been run and how many runs, but it's due for replacement along with the cap & rotor. It's a MSD crank trigger distributor btw (.500" ID gear).

So, I have heard of and seen where there is a melonized iron gear that is supposed to be compatible with the billet roller cam gear.

Not being familiar with them, do I make the switch or just stick with the Bronze?

Also, what brand?

I see MSD has one listed in their marine catalog. Other brands I've found are Crane, Lunati and Comp Cams.

Never heard of it....BRONZE it is..

Why change what already works

I always considered the gear a maint item with proper end-play maint. Just like checking the PG band every 25 runs.

I have used the same composite gear on my car for more than a decade. Never pick up any bronze in the oil filter.

Thanks everyone, bronze it is!

That composite gear is a maintenance item too!! It will more than likely break at the worst possible time lol

Stick with bronze.

have always got melonized and never had an issue or thought about it after installation.

If you are willing to throw the dice and hope that your high volume/high pressure pump with 20/50 doesn’t wear thru the heat treat coating on the gear that makes it “melonized” and into your high dollar roller cam then by all means roll away. Rolled my cam right in the trash.

Used a melonized gear, the same melonized gear with everyone one of the 3 roller cams in the 468 in my Chevelle from 1999 to 2007 without issue. First bronze distributor gear was on the distributor supplied by Sunset when they built the 522.

I used a melodized gear I got from Lunati all the way up until I went with my front mount belt driven distributor. It looked like it barely had any wear on it. Buddy of mine back in Denver runs the same gear on his stuff, supercharged deal, been running the same gear for last 7 seasons, and will be running it this year if things ever get going....

quote:

Originally posted by SonnyJames:
If you are willing to throw the dice and hope that your high volume/high pressure pump with 20/50 doesn’t wear thru the heat treat coating on the gear that makes it “melonized” and into your high dollar roller cam then by all means roll away. Rolled my cam right in the trash.

Relatively lightweght oil and clearances to match, I'm gonna roll the dice to start off on the dyno. Any sign of ignition timing going away, melonized gear will be out of there.

I did the mod on the bottom journal on the distributor for continuous proprietary oiling of the two gears in question as well.

Street Strip pump gas compression 496 can't have a bronze, unless it has to.

8620 billet cam core.

We'll see, I'll have the findings in a few days.

The spring to bypass at the highest rate, is installed in the pump as well.