I removed my distributor today to check my "bronze" gear. It was showing quite a bit of wear, (almost 2 summers approx 700 miles). I put in a BOP engineering composite gear. I was wondering if anyone has any first hand, long term use experience to share.

 

I've got about 12,000 on mine with 20w50 oil, and it's mint! Well worth the money!

Psst, they're not bronze anymore; they're brass. The bronze used to last an oil change.

 

They’re actually a composite, typically made from as many as three materials, one of them being bronze.

 

X 2 Color makes little difference if you can't provide chemical composition. There are several "brass" colored materials that would outwear the camshaft teeth. I can tell you I have machined AMS 4640, Ampco 19 and Ampco 21. Unless you have tried to machine or drill a hole through, you are guessing.
No one has been able to explain what BOP's "composite" is. Is it plastic, metal or some non ferrous material.

 

Call them what you want, but they suck compared to what used to be available. It's all the same gear with different labels.

 

Yes, the quotations around "bronze" was simple sarcasm. I am glad to hear they are surviving. I also run 20w50, so it will hopefully last in my car as well.
Thank you in advance.

 

I had the same, short-life, experience with a bronze gear. Mine was AMPCO 45, an alloy of copper, aluminum and nickel--supposedly one of the longer-wearing "yellow-metal" gears.

After some research, I bought and installed the plastic gear from BOP. I haven't run it yet to be able to report on its life. But I did find that it is composed of PEEK (Polyether ether ketone) plastic with about 30% carbon fiber added. My younger machinist friends recognized the PEEK name and told me it has amazing properties of durability.

 

I have heard the same, here's hoping.
I don't mind spending good money if the product is good.

 

Good for you. Generally, Bronze is a mixture of Copper and Tin. Brass is a mixture of Copper and Zinc.

Bruce, its not just labels. Chemical composition and percentages of each change the character. Bruce, following you train of thinking, steel and stainless steel are the same, just different labels.

I haven't machined Ampco 45, but it appears to be similar to AMS 4640. I have machined a lot of AMS 4640 and it wears well when used as bushings and much easier to machine than Ampco 21.
Your information on PEEK is interesting. Thats the most informational description I have seen. Carbon fiber is also interesting to know. Thank you.

 

Ralph, I was referring to brand labels- Comp and Allstar, specifically. I was getting 491 gears and having them milled to 500. They all failed prematurely, despite the machinist remarking how hard they were.

 

Bruce you mention bronze and brass in your post. The vendor is a vendor, and I have no idea what material they sell. Cutlassefi is very aware of my thoughts on Comp anything.....thats why I ordered an Erson cam from him to replace the brand new Comp cam in my 455 Starfire engine.
Granted, I am not current on the latest "plastics".

 

Thank you to Fleming 442. Your input is much appreciated as I was a bit apprehensive using that gear but after your first hand experience I feel better and not concerned

 

Pardon my ignorance on bronze gears but 700 miles doesn't seem like much to me.. Why is this type of material needed??

My '79 350 stock distributor gear has 220K on it and still looks good to me and even no noticeable play.. I'm on a second engine..

Fred

 

Some aftermarket cams (typically roller cams) have gears of material that results in wear of both the cam and distributor gears.

The traditional hot-rod way of combatting this is to use a sacrificial copper-alloy gear, developed about 60 years ago. These need to be monitored for wear and replaced periodically.

Newer types of distributor gears have been developed that can take the place of the copper-alloy gears without causing any abmormal wear of either gear.

Your OEM cam and gear combination is good for many miles and years without your needing to give it a thought.

 

what cam core material is your cam and who recommended that distributor gear you initially used?

 

Not sure of the material but its a comp cam roller. My choice.At the time, 2010, there weren't many choices I was aware of.

 

ok, what’s the cam part number? it’ll be something like 42-423-9

 

it's a 216 at..05

 

need the part number.

 

42-413-11. It's a mild cam, good for street. With the 400 g I strengthened the connecting rods, (eagle H rods, ARP fasteners sealed power pistons). I used Harland Sharpe pedistal rockers). I didn't
want too rude a cam. My next engine I'll use a rude, obnoxious, spitting cam. But that will be a Rocket Racing 4 bolt main block.

 

That won’t necessarily tell you the core material though.
Back then it could’ve been a 1050, 8620, 8620IG, or even a SADI core. It’s usually written on the cam card at the top.

 

the last digits denote cam core material. anything -9 thru -16 are billet steel. So yours is in the steel group. 5150, 5160, 8620, 8650 or 9310 and or variations of heat treating of those. -17 is tool steel. -2 thru -5 are cast iron. -6 is the old hyd roller cores which also needed specific dizzy gears. -8 is austempered ductile iron, usually for flat tappets that will be nitrided.

You never should have run a brass dizzy gear on the street. I know years ago Comp recommended a brass gear for all their Olds hyd rollers , even street use, that was wrong. You should have run a melonized or composite gear. Composite gears like the one you have now work will all cam materials

 

That's great info. Thank you for that. It was great to see you in Binbrook, last time was London, those meets were good. Good parties.

 

it was good to see you too..your car looked great. I took this

 

I always conscientiously and proactively change bronze gears out before they wear too much!

 

I guess my gear wasn't as bad as I thought, after looking at the one you posted.