Can I use a "Bronze" distributor gear on my MSD distributor when running a "Billet" roller cam, or "must" I use the Comp Cams "Composite" distributor gear instead?

I can get the Bronze ones on ebay or summit for under $50 easy. The Comp Cams gear (part # 12140) is over $100.

I'm not stupid or cheap. If I have to spend the extra $ I will, but if it's not necessary I would rather get the cheaper cost Bronze gear

this is for a Hot Street Solid Roller setup. Less than 1000 miles year and I will be running a HV oil pump.

thanks

Lee.

I run bronze gears, with a bronze gear you should pull the distributer and file a groove in the lower {knobb} on the distributer which is where oil flows around the dirtributer to go into the rifle lines.

When you file this groove, some pressureized oil sprays on the bronze gear and the camshaft gear. This helps alot and also in street cars

I will get a photo later, the new crane distributers come like this now. This groove needs to face the camshaft so you put your distributer in, get it running then mark the rotor to the distributer and the housing to the manifold then mark the center of the distributer facing the cam and file or cut the groove

This photo is a little blurry but you can see the groove

Leejoy,

Why would you want to run an HV pump? besides the bronze dist gear you should run an upper timing gear with the thrust bearing to keep from damaging the front of the block. This is an ill-advised decision, IMHO.

If you buy the right cam you can get it with an iron gear, use a plain old Chevy iron gear on the dist.

Didn't we already go thru this stuff?

If you cant see it too clear in that photo i can take another one later. Just let me know

The hot deal is a cam that has the cast iron gear on the rear, use the stock gear. My Crane has that, assume most cam makers have them available. General opinion is the high volume pump is more wear & tear on this gear, cam thrust etc than its worth, stock pumps all the system will accept so the difference is just in how much the bypass is open.
The slot in the distributer will squirt oil right on the gear, take a few miniutes before doing so to study what location the distributer will be rotated to so you get the squirt just before the gears mesh

Leejoy,

Why would you want to run an HV pump? besides the bronze dist gear you should run an upper timing gear with the thrust bearing to keep from damaging the front of the block. This is an ill-advised decision, IMHO.

If you buy the right cam you can get it with an iron gear, use a plain old Chevy iron gear on the dist.

Didn't we already go thru this stuff?

Hi Tom

yes we went through some of this stuff, kinda-sorta. All sort of "blobbed" together.

Educate me about the downside of a high volume pump please. The motor I bought came with a HV pump - I didn't go out and buy one. It was already on there. Is there a problem using it? What are the UP's and DOWN's to using a HV pump?

Lee

There is a problem with a high volume pump if your bearing clearances are stock
If its a race engine that has the bearing clearances opened up you need to run a high volume pump, if you have stock bearing clearances run a stock pump. If your bearing clearances are opened up run a high volume.

On our small blocks we run .003" main bearing clearance with .0035" on the rear bearing and .0025"-.0028" on the rods which is considered loose so we run a high volume pump

On our small blocks if we ran a .0025" main clearance with .003"-.0032" on the rear and .002" on the rods we would require a stock pump. On our race engines and pro street engines we like to stay on the loose side

I made the Mistake of NOT putting in a Bronze or Poly gear.....with my Billit Hyd Roller Cam!

Here is what happens if you don't!
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa166/krazybones21/IMG_4609.jpg
I put a Poly one on now (was $110)

Yes you can run a Bronze Gear, just be sure it is an AMPCO 45 bronze alloy.

As to the bronze gears, I would buy mine from crane cams. I dont know where they get them from but i have never had an issue with a bronze gear from crane cams. I have had some issues with other bronze gears but our bronze gear has lubrication from the groove in our HEI that we cut in it

Lee,

Got your PM. The whole HV pump debate has been beaten to death repeatedly here, at least once recently. Your best bet is to use the search to uncover these previous knock-down drag-outs. In a nutshell the only justification for an HV pump is if your engine builder is still living in the 70s, setting up the engine with huge clearances everywhere. Engines like that will have trouble with low oil pressure at hot idle with a stock pump. Guys that are up on technology and materials got over this 20+ years ago. Some guys just have change resistance, will only do stuff the way the previous generation did. Now, where did I put my flame-proof underwear? :)

As to the bronze gears, I would buy mine from crane cams. I dont know where they get them from but i have never had an issue with a bronze gear from crane cams. I have had some issues with other bronze gears but our bronze gear has lubrication from the groove in our HEI that we cut in it

Butch,
Crane uses Ampco 45. It is the best wearing material for this application.

Lee,

Got your PM. The whole HV pump debate has been beaten to death repeatedly here, at least once recently. Your best bet is to use the search to uncover these previous knock-down drag-outs. In a nutshell the only justification for an HV pump is if your engine builder is still living in the 70s, setting up the engine with huge clearances everywhere. Engines like that will have trouble with low oil pressure at hot idle with a stock pump. Guys that are up on technology and materials got over this 20+ years ago. Some guys just have change resistance, will only do stuff the way the previous generation did. Now, where did I put my flame-proof underwear? :)

At Stef's we recommend in a street strip application with a new build on tolerances within the General's parameters a stock volume pump.

Good for Stef's.

Chris,

I buy mine from Chase, you know him. They are the best gears i have found

Bronze distributr gaers and high volume oil pumps are usually better for dragstrip use only. Really not made for street cars.

The extra groove at the lower ring section on distributor does work well also. It is shown in some of the Crane cam catalogs.

Harry P.Hunter

Bronze distributr gaers and high volume oil pumps are usually better for dragstrip use only. Really not made for street cars.

The extra groove at the lower ring section on distributor does work well also. It is shown in some of the Crane cam catalogs.

Harry P.Hunter

how is the distributor gear normally lubricated? I thought it was just splash? How does this "groove" help?

Lee

how is the distributor gear normally lubricated? I thought it was just splash? How does this "groove" help?

Lee

It sprays pressurized oil directly onto the camshaft/distributer gear and helps to cool it, anytime you can cool a surface creating friction your doing a good job. Look at the distributer photo i posted and you will see the groove, I also posted instructions on where to place the groove on the first page

Normally it is lubricated from oil splash and it does starve for lubrication of oil splash sometimes but not with the oil groove in the distributer

It sprays pressurized oil directly onto the camshaft/distributer gear and helps to cool it, anytime you can cool a surface creating friction your doing a good job. Look at the distributer photo i posted and you will see the groove, I also posted instructions on where to place the groove on the first page

Normally it is lubricated from oil splash and it does starve for lubrication of oil splash sometimes but not with the oil groove in the distributer


I have done the groove trick for years and most peope I tell about it say "it wont work" but it really does. I do reccommend the poly gear, though as I have never had one fail-even in marine apps.

hotrodrobert,

We even groove the front cam bearing to spray pressurized oil to the timing gear/block area, we are actually gonna try drilling a hole through the block into the oiling groove under the cam bearing

Robert, you or someone older in your family must have been a Modified Production racer :D