lukestmz

I just seen that B O P has released a composite distributor gear for Oldsmobile, and would like some opinions on using them, I am not building a race car, I am using a roller cam, so what is the word on these good ? or am I better off with a melonized gear?

Mr Nick

What type of metal the roller cam?

lukestmz

its a lunati voodoo , they say to use a brass gear on the web site

VC455

Brass gear is old-school. It wears and needs monitoring, although nickel-aluminum-bronze (AMPCO alloy) has better durability.

Melonized (QPQ) is far better as you intimate, and composite could be even better--I'm interested to see how our more knowledgeable associates evaluate it.

cutlassefi

What distributor do you have?

lukestmz

I need a .491 shaft , only dick miller seem to have a melonized , unless someone knows of another supplier

cutlassefi

Correct. Or, for all, you could’ve ordered an IG (iron gear) core from the start and negated the need for a special Dist gear.

rickw30

Howards cams had .491 melonized gears.
part # 94456

Duh

Link please?

VC455

I asked BOP about the gear and got this reply:
"Yes we have them in both .491 and .500. We have not yet had time to put them on the website. They are $169.99 each. Give us a call anytime"

cutlassefi

They cost less than $50.00 to make. Good for them if they can get it.

lukestmz

I got the cam for a very good deal, even with the gear I am a couple hundred ahead, just want to make the right choice, I am going to get the melonized gear

cutlassefi

👍

oddball

While we're on the topic, what are the part numbers / manufacturers for the 0.500" shaft (MSD) melonized gears? I find it surprisingly opaque to understand what the manufacturers are saying about their gears. MSD isn't even showing replacement gears on their website (?!?!?!)

cutlassefi

You have to call and get their replacement number. I have it somewhere, I’ll get it for you.

72GrnCS

I am also looking for a .500 gear to match a roller cam. So would the BOP engineering melonized , be the only choice at this time?

lukestmz

ended up with the composite gear, i could not get a melonized one, well so far so good, let everyone know after some miles on it

bccan

Can you provide info? My kid is in need, wore the bronze gear to where the car shut off. We stabbed another HEI in there to keep him going but he’s trying to navigate the .491 gear thing right now.

​​​​​​….

VC455

BOP has the composite gear in both bore diameters.

lukestmz

i got it from BOP , just go to the website, just get the one for the size of the distributor shaft

VC455

Before you install that expensive distributor gear, examine the cam gear. If it's been damaged, you would need a new cam.

bccan

Valid advice, but this is a kid’s (at least back when he started) daily driver with well over 100k on the engine that I built 14 years ago, expecting him to drive the car maybe 5 years. That gear has tens of thousands of miles on it and granted, only remnants of teeth! Engine suffered a broken valve spring 2 years ago resulting in having the heads redone and now this distributor gear, the only two breakdowns. Very soon, the snow tires go on for car’s 13th winter since “restoring” it. Though the proactive approach is certainly valid, if/when the engine stops, we’ll check the cam, until then, it gets stitches on the bench and put back in the game!

…

pettrix

The composite gear is now $180

Does anyone sell a Melonized .500 gear for the Holley distributor?

Mr Nick

MSD (owned by Holley) told me a few years ago that the gears that come with their distributors are melanized. I've been using a factory MSD gear with my roller cam for a good 15k miles, no issues.

pettrix

Interesting, I did not know that. I thought they were just steel gears. On the Summit website, it shows the gear material as "steel"

OLDSter Ralph

What did you think they were ?

Mr Nick

Found the old email, wow it was 8 years ago!

Reply from MSD Tech "The MSD Oldsmobile distributor comes with a Melonized gear that makes it compatible with with GM billet roller cams. If your cam manufacturer recommends a composite gear, then use a composite gear."

He may be referring to factory GM roller cams, but like I said I've been running the normal MSD gear with my Erson roller cam for 8 years and 15k miles with no issues. I pulled the distributor out in the Spring and inspected the gears for a few years, and everything looked fine. I have not looked or worried about it for 5+ years now. Just my experience.