BBA

Or is it just a normal gear?

I took my intake off to seal the ends today and noticed the distributor gear is about half worn out. Question is...can I use one from one of my old spare distributors or does it need a special melonized bronze gear or something?

BBA

BTW: I couldnt help myself...I just had to....

So I siamesed the intake base too. :eek:

(only took about an hour of cutting)

:smash:


[Modified by BBA, 4:24 PM 1/21/2004]

scorp508

My dist. gear was worn to razor blades with the stock cam in place. :yesnod:

Bob86ZZ4

I've gone through a few gears in the last two years. This is the latest one and the box it came in:



I have a GM ZZ4 roller cam. I suspect I may have mucked up gears on the back of the cam. I have now installed a poly gear from Comp Cams and will see how that holds up this summer. Unfortunately the car is bedded down for the winter here.

70ZZ3 96LT4

The distributor gear for a roller cam is different.

BBA

I know the distributor gear for a billet steel roller cam is different. The ones I use with my schneider cams are made of brass/bronze, but this one is a stock cam that suppossedly has a cast gear mated to the cam.

Judging by the apearance of the gear, I would say it is NOT made of brass but, I am just making sure I dont need a specially treated gear.

BTW: Brass gears dont last long no matter what cam you use them on.

65Z01

The OEM roller cam, like some aftermarket cams, has a cast gear which is compatable with a stock dist gear.

Corvette0096

You need a melenized gear.

BBA

65Z01...I think your right.

Well...I hope your right, and since I have read about it before, I am going to use the stock gear from my spare parts distributor.

Bob86ZZ4

The part number on the box in my above picture is the one that GM specifies for the roller cam of '87 and newer Vettes. Jot down that part number and stop in a Chevy dealer and check. Good luck.

BBA

I'll do that, thanks.

JAKE

I have been planning to install a melonized distributor gear but kept putting it off for one reason or another.

Back in 2002, my car quit on me but I wasn't too far from home. When I pulled the distributor I found the teeth were history. I had another gear in the garage, so I threw it on and have been driving with it since.

But since there have been a few posts lately about gear wear, today I decided to take a look at mine. Good thing I did; it was showing wear too.

So off to Young Chevrolet and home with a new melonized gear. Just finished installing it and setting the timing.

Thanks for post with the photo of the part number.

Jake

Bob86ZZ4

No problem Jake, just by chance did you verify with the dealer that this is the correct part number? I got this part from my dealer but I was just curious.

BBA

It sounds like you ran a stock gear for a while then, So...I think it will be fine for a few months, or at least until I can get a new gear from the dealer.

JAKE

Yes, I talked to parts counter guy (a performance nut too) and he told me that he had ordered it for his truck engine, only to find that his engine has the melonized gear from the factory.

So he just put it into inventory. Cost me $38.95 pus tax.

Jake

JAKE

Yes, I think you'll be okay. According to MSD, the wear only creates very fine filings and won't cause any bearing wear, etc.

Jake