Distributor Gear ?

I’m having a new sbc engine built for 2019 and have a question about the available replacement distributor gears. They offer a bronze gear which I presently use, but there is also a composite gear offered.

My question is this… is one better than the other or are both equal? If one is better what manufacture and model #?

I have always used the MSD Bronze gears. I am sure everyone has their favorite.

Have seen the composite gears shatter into many small pieces without warning, but at least no metal going through the engine.

I have only worn out two bronze gears, and that is when the car was street/strip. Since strip only, never wore another out. BUT: If you change the cam, CHANGE the gear! They do wear-in together.

Gday,
Get a nice quality ampco american made bronze gear from straub tech.
Some of the aftermarket stuff is now coming from overseas.
Cheers
Paul

I switched to the composite years ago and never looked back. I always seemed to see bronze in the filter when I would cut it. Gone now. I suppose I should replace the composite one after all these years. But no failures to date.

I have had the composite gears fail without warning. Bronze gears for me.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Beck:
I have always used the MSD Bronze gears.

This!

I used bronze for many years and decided to try a composite, until I had it in my hand. I just couldn't do it because it seemed too frail and I'd heard of them just shattering. This was quite a few years ago and I think it was a Comp Cams gear.

Have had the same msd bronze gear in engine for at least ten years. Why change what is not broke?

quote:

Originally posted by Wooley:
Have had the same msd bronze gear in engine for at least ten years. Why change what is not broke?

Because my 1 oil sample per year (for the past 4 years) shows high copper readings that were never present in my old engine with an older cam. I thought maybe it’s from the distributor gear.

I also switched from Brad Penn to Schaeffer's oil this year to see if there would be an improvement in copper and it is actually much worse. I’m going back to Brad Penn (now PennGrade 1) oil in my new engine.

I typically put 500 passes on my engine before pulling it to freshen. Change the oil every 50ish passes, sometimes will hit 75. I run Mobil 1 10W/30, spin it to 8000 most of the time. Makes about 700hp, SBC.

When my builder shows me the bearings (coated) they look practically brand-new and could easily be used again!

So I take no stock in bronze gears wearing-away and hurting engines at-all. Maybe if I tried to run an entire season without changing the oil, that would be a different matter, and yes, I know of people that do it!

This engine is on race gas, maybe people running alky find something different.

If you have enough copper in the oil to be alarmed I would look for the source too. I think if it's the dist gear that is easily checked. If the gear is wearing that had you have a problem and not the gear itself. I do like Mike does change oil and filter at 50 to 75 passes. On refresh usually 350/400 passes mine looks new inside as does Mike's. Sbc on gas useing valvoline vr1 oil and wix filters.

This is pretty basic but.... Don't know about a SBC but with a BBC, at the time of assembly, you can check for proper cam gear/dist. gear engagement (dist. height) through a freeze plug hole in the back of the block. Caution: Don't run the dist. so low as to put pressure on the oil pump gears. Additionally you might want to check dist. gear thrust clearance (backlash)for excessive travel up and down the cam gear upon acceleration and deceleration.

When you sample, or even using a system 1, you are aware of stuff in your oil that normally you wouldn't be. I was seeing a little bronze in the oil, and when they first came out with the composite gear, I figured I would try it. I replaced it with another one year as it looked like it had a bit of wear. Still have the second in. For the record, I never had any problem with the bronze gear other than seeing pieces of it in the filter. There are probably pieces of composite in the filter too.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I ordered a MSD bronze gear tonight with some other parts as both Jegs (sale ends tonight) and Summit have great money back sales going on now.

Setting the distributor gear to cam gear height made a big difference in distributor gear wear on my bbc.

quote:

Originally posted by Ron Gusack:
Setting the distributor gear to cam gear height made a big difference in distributor gear wear on my bbc.

I have to ask. Can you elaborate on this?

Goodson supplied a dist dept gauge in the past i had. Lent it out, never to be seen again. Goodson # was DDG-05. Days of lending out are over.

quote:

Originally posted by CURTIS REED:

quote:

Originally posted by Ron Gusack:
Setting the distributor gear to cam gear height made a big difference in distributor gear wear on my bbc.

I have to ask. Can you elaborate on this?

With the cam plug out I install the distributor and try to get the distributor gear centered to the cam gear. I use the slip collar on the distributor to get the position where it looks right. Then move to the oil pump and intermediate shaft. The last one I did required some shortening of the shaft. This is all done with engine on a stand of course. I also put a small groove in the distributor housing to get a little more oil on the gears.

quote:

Originally posted by Ron Gusack:

quote:

Originally posted by CURTIS REED:

quote:

Originally posted by Ron Gusack:
Setting the distributor gear to cam gear height made a big difference in distributor gear wear on my bbc.

I have to ask. Can you elaborate on this?

With the cam plug out I install the distributor and try to get the distributor gear centered to the cam gear. I use the slip collar on the distributor to get the position where it looks right. Then move to the oil pump and intermediate shaft. The last one I did required some shortening of the shaft. This is all done with engine on a stand of course. I also put a small groove in the distributor housing to get a little more oil on the gears.

I should have been more specific sorry. The big difference is what I wondered about. I know how to put the gear where it needs to be, I just wasn't sure, knowing that it will work just fine within a given point up or down, what made it so much better. The bold part is something left out of your original post that would make a big difference if it needed it. Thanks.

Curtis

quote:

Originally posted by CURTIS REED:

quote:

Originally posted by Ron Gusack:

quote:

Originally posted by CURTIS REED:

quote:

Originally posted by Ron Gusack:
Setting the distributor gear to cam gear height made a big difference in distributor gear wear on my bbc.

I have to ask. Can you elaborate on this?

With the cam plug out I install the distributor and try to get the distributor gear centered to the cam gear. I use the slip collar on the distributor to get the position where it looks right. Then move to the oil pump and intermediate shaft. The last one I did required some shortening of the shaft. This is all done with engine on a stand of course. I also put a small groove in the distributor housing to get a little more oil on the gears.

I should have been more specific sorry. The big difference is what I wondered about. I know how to put the gear where it needs to be, I just wasn't sure, knowing that it will work just fine within a given point up or down, what made it so much better. The bold part is something left out of your original post that would make a big difference if it needed it. Thanks.

Curtis

I honestly can't say for sure if the wear improved after one change or the other. Or if I made both changes at the same time or not. I think I moved the gear and added the oil groove at the same time but I'm not positive. Sorry I can't be more sure.