Excessive distributor gear wear from billet cam
 

I had a custom cam ground last year based on a Merc Magnum billet hyd roller. Being that it is a billet core with a billet gear for the distributor, it was my understanding that I needed to install a special melonized distributor gear to keep the cam from chewing it up. Well, I did just that, and this is the result after 30 hours! :mad:

http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/...t-gear2jpg.jpg

http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/...t-gear1jpg.jpg

Has anyone seen this happen with the correct dist gear? I am starting to wonder if they sold me something different. Is there any way to tell just by looking what kind of gear it has? I guess now I am going to have to try to find a dependable source for this gear. If anyone has a good Mag Gen V/VI distributor laying around that they want to part with, let me know.

And yes, I realize that a cam walking around can do this, but this one had all new Gen VI cam retaining hardware installed with the good double roller timing gear. Starting to wonder what my bearings look like! :eek:

How much up down play is there in the dist gear??? It also looks like it is not sitting down deep enough.
You definately better take a good look at the gear on the cam.

Many billet cams use a pressed on iron gear, so there is no need to run a melonized distributor gear.

Post above is right about the gear I would try a bronze gear thats what I use on billet cams they are sacrificial so do need to be inspected .

Do I need to pull engine and inspect bearings?

I would also check the end play on the cam. It could be moving forward or the timing chain cover could be flexing.

Cutting the oil filter open might be a little easier.

Cam was installed (and degreed) by the engine builder, so hopefully he checked end play. This is a Gen VI and uses the stock cam retainer, so the timing cover is not an issue. I saved the oil filter from the initial breaking period, but that might not tell us much since these are usually filled with debris from the break-in. That filter had about ten hours on it. The one on the engine now has about 20.

Engine builder said filter will catch some of it, but undoubtedly some debris went thru the bearings. At this point I am wondering if I can limp thru the rest of the season and then pull engine in the winter and inspect bearings. Oil pressure and temp is fine on this engine.

Is it just me or doesn't that look cast?

Red, someone else commented on that, and I too am wondering if they sent me the wrong gear. I was under the impression that they looked very similar in appearance. Anyone have a picture to share of a "real" melonized gear next to a standard one?

I have one on my dist. dont have a picture but they do have a sort of a rough finish like the one in your picture. It also does look like the dist. needs to go deeper. It looks like its wearing the bottom of the gear pretty bad.