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Hope everyone is enjoying their Memorial Day! Remember the reason, it’s not just about a day off and cookouts!
I posted a ad a couple weeks ago bitching about dealing with parts salesman when dealing with “orphaned” car brands, specifically bronze distributor gears. Basically, the discussion was about “normal” (meaning chebby) GM distributor gears and Oldsmobile gear shaft diameter. I had ordered a Comp Cams 442 gear, based on the comments I returned it and ordered a BOP composite gear.
Imagine my surprise to find a gear that isn’t bronze, and showing ZERO wear. My question: did I already purchase a composite gear, did the Holley dual sync distributor include a roller cam compatible gear, or god forbid I’m chewing up the cam with an incompatible gear? I seriously doubt I would have been foolish enough to have not considered this issue when I first installed the distributor, but at the same time I have slept alot since I installed it. I suppose I’ll have my answer when I cut open the oil filter, if the filter media is clean I’ll relax. If not, I intend to do my best to forget I saw anything
Im guessing either the gear is compatible, or I installed a compatible gear. I’m guesstimating the gear has 10k miles on it since the last time I had the distributor out, basically 2 summers of driving I would assume that if there were issues I’d see the evidence.
That's not composite; they look like graphite.
It could be melonized. I heard a horror story about a tooth breaking off one, and that's why I went composite.
I don't know enough to say it won't work, but I am smart enough to listen to people that use what does work.
IIRC, a few (maybe most?) don't have steel gears or something. I don’t even know. I'm erring on the side of caution because these mf'ers cost too much!
I heard that only the steel camshafts (not cast iron) need the special distributor gear. I am running the MSD gear that came with my MSD distributor with no issues. It has been on a regular cast cam and on a nitrided cast camshaft, both from Comp Cams..
Well, I’m incredibly relieved to report that there was zero debris in the filter. So obviously the camshaft and distributor gear are getting along just fine.
