brass distributor gear

[dmiller]

per MSD's instructions, i inspected the distributor gear after a few hours running (about 80 miles), to find that the involutes on the driven side were getting flat.

called MSD and they said i had a sacrifical brass gear intended for drag racing. they will install a steel gear, its on the way to them now. i'm using a hydraulic roller cam.

my question, why would anyone want a brass gear? esp since its going to give up sooner or later.

i hate to give the car up again, esp after only having legal status for two days, but i don't want to be along side the road waiting for a tow truck to arrive.

thanks

doug

[Brent]

Doug,

The brass gear is used in drag racing, thats correct, the reason is that the brass gear is softer and it will not wear the teeth on the camshaft gear and in case of a failure the brass gear will shear and again save the camshaft. If you are running a high pressure pump they are hard on dist gears. When I build a small block Ford I drill a very small hole in the oil galley plug just behind the dist gear so a fine stream of oil is sprayed on the gear at all times. A steel gear should solve your problems if the depth of the gear is correct.

Brent

[dmiller]

good explanation, thanks

doug

[gasman]

Brent, What would we do without you and Rick. Thanks for being here for all of us!

Steve Foushee

[eliminator]

Doug,

You could have installed the steel gear yourself. They are readily available at Speed Shops. You just remove the roll pin with a drift punch, remove the brass gear, slide the new gear in place and install a steel roll pin.

Rick

[dmiller]

that decision is past me now, it in the hands of UPS.
after reading MSD's cautions to make it EXACTLY right, i chickened out.

should be back late next week, i hope.

thanks.

doug