[Dakenzie1]

One step forward and two back! With help from folks on this site I've been slowly but surely tuning the new 489cid. After more carb adjustments the engine picked up an odd miss. Second guessing myself I changed the carb back to where it was before. When I tried to start it back up, it backfired through the carb. It sounded badly out of time. But since I hadn't touched anything else, I continued to attempt carb adjustments to no avail. Each time I tried to start it, it backfired worse and kicked backwards against the starter. I never drove it with the aforementioned miss, this all happened in the shop while idleing.

Eventually, I pulled the distributor and found the bronze gear stripped off on one side. I've since learned that my cam (Comp #11-692-8) a cast solid roller, needs a steel distributor gear, not brass.

Furthermore, when the engine kicked back, it damaged some gears on the new TCI flexplate I just bought, probably my mini starter to.

***Question***Question***Question***
Can the engine be adequately flushed by multiple oil changes etc...and safely run again without teardown? I have even heard of flushing diesel fuel through the hole where the distributor goes. Does that sound wild?

Anyway, I have a lot of money in this engine and am being pressured to just flush it and go. I have to have more input before I, or anybody else touches this thing. Thanks in advance for your time.

 

[Jim Mac]

I believe Philip (moderator on the elcamino forum) lost a gear in his elcamino. I think he said he got away with flushing it and its running fine. You may want to PM him and ask in person. jim

 

[67RS/SS]

One step forward and two back! With help from folks on this site I've been slowly but surely tuning the new 489cid. After more carb adjustments the engine picked up an odd miss. Second guessing myself I changed the carb back to where it was before. When I tried to start it back up, it backfired through the carb. It sounded badly out of time. But since I hadn't touched anything else, I continued to attempt carb adjustments to no avail. Each time I tried to start it, it backfired worse and kicked backwards against the starter. I never drove it with the aforementioned miss, this all happened in the shop while idleing.

Eventually, I pulled the distributor and found the bronze gear stripped off on one side. I've since learned that my cam (Comp #11-692-8) a cast solid roller, needs a steel distributor gear, not brass.

Furthermore, when the engine kicked back, it damaged some gears on the new TCI flexplate I just bought, probably my mini starter to.

***Question***Question***Question***
Can the engine be adequately flushed by multiple oil changes etc...and safely run again without teardown? I have even heard of flushing diesel fuel through the hole where the distributor goes. Does that sound wild?

Anyway, I have a lot of money in this engine and am being pressured to just flush it and go. I have to have more input before I, or anybody else touches this thing. Thanks in advance for your time.

Can you take picture of that gear? Are the teeth that are still there, real sharp?

How much run time was on the gear?

 

[Dakenzie1]

No Steve I can't take pictures. I brought the distributor over to the shop that originally installed the gear on the distributor and then into my motor. He was going to look for the gear that he took off new before switching it for the bronze one. He thought all solid roller cams were billet and had to have the bronze gear.

Probably had put about 200 miles on motor, and yes a couple of gears were about all gone, some sharp edges.

 

[Brettd85]

I know this isnt what you want to hear...

Its possible you had some metal go through the engine. There could be damage, I would personally tear it down. I suppose you could attempt to flush it several times but some of those pieces are still going to sit in the pan. I would pull it, pull the pan, check a few bearings. If they look ok, clean the pan and put it back in. Otherwise you will know you gotta rebuild it.

 

[Calculated Risk]

You can still run a bronze gear on a cast cam. It should not wear that fast, double check the dist end play you may need shims under the dist or maybe just a double gasket.

Pull off your oil filter and cut it open, does the filter have bronze in it? Does the filter have an internal bypass, does you oil filter adapter have a bypass? If you have a bypass in either one, and there is bronze in the filter then i'd be thinking long and hard about disassembly.

Who is pressuring you to get the car done? If you try to shortcut something like this yoy find yourself without a running engine for a long time if that bronze made it through a bypass.... Good luck

 

[Jason Snyder]

I agreee with calculated risk ! somethings going on with your distributor .....the bronze gear shoulda been fine .

Hopefully you run NO bypass , and you can just pull the pan ,clean and reassemble .. BUT if you run a bypass ,i would do a teardown

 

[cstraub]

A bronze gear will run on any camshaft. More then likely you had a cheap brass Chinese distributor gear that are brought into the country for $3 each. Brass can be very fine I would not chance it and tear the engine down.

 

[Dakenzie1]

Chris, it was the tech at Comp Cams who told me that the bronze gear would be chewed up after a couple hundred miles. However, I believe I have found the real problem. I am running a MSD Streetfire distributor. The distributor shaft mikes out at .489 and the bronze gear that was damaged has a bore of .501. It had on the wrong gear!

I would think this allowed the gear to move around on the shaft and ultimately end up where I am now. With a high dollar engine that I waited forever for to sit here now full of brass particulates and needing to be torn down. This sucks, I am sick!

 

[cstraub]

Well any core will accept a bronze gear, even a cast core. Yes you found the problem. That distributor shaft needed a .491" gear. Whoever installed that gear goofed big time.

 

[Jason Snyder]

I get more & more amazed at the crap i see coming from machine shops !!!! IT SHOULD be a rule if you cant build a 350 chevy ,you shouldnt work at a machine shop . THATS just me yapping . BUT dang ,if it wobbles its probably wrong .

Well at least you found the problem , and you wont repeat it !!!

 

[Anderson3754]

I sent ya a pm

 

[Dakenzie1]

Well everyone, I've gotten phone calls, forum post, advise and suggestions to go both ways. I've learned most everything I know by attending the "School of Hard Knocks". Cause I don't always listen. I'm going against the grain on this one too, i'm gonna run the motor. Hope by not taking the advise to tear down, I don't get another hard knock, but here goes;


This damage occurred in about 200 miles. Once it picked up the miss, it was parked. Oil filter bypass plug/s had been blocked.

Drained oil, it looked like gold. Cut open the Fram PH-4, looked like gold paint inside. Slowly poured 2 gallons of diesel fuel into hole in block where distributor goes and let it drain out of the pan. I filtered the runoff finding lots gold colored oil. Nothing ever large enough to feel between fingers; gritty etc... After the first gallon, the rest of the fuel came out clean.

Put a new PH-4 filter on it (to seal up engine) I will take out the drain plug again in the morning to let out anymore oil/diesel, then add new Valvoline VR-1 20w-50w oil.

GM melonized gear should be hear by 4:00 PM tomorrow. I will put the distributor back in, say my prayers and start it back up.

Thanks everyone

 

[Calculated Risk]

If you have a blocked oil bypass, and that fram filter had no bypass then you stand a good chance of a happy ending. Good luck, hopefully the hotrod gods are shinning on you...

 

[Dakenzie1]

Drove the car about 50 miles and changed the oil and filter again. Oil that came out looked good. Cut the filter open, it looked clean. I've put another 50 miles on the car now and all seems okay. I stopped stressing over it! So far, so good. Thanks for the advice everyone.

 

[Tom Mobley]

Well, you could always take up professional bullet dodging. you're doing pretty good so far.

With that blocked bypass be careful about jacking the RPM around until the oil has warmed up a little.

IMO the blocked bypass just saved your engine and your wallet.

So who installed the wrong gear?

 

[Wolfplace]

Drove the car about 50 miles and changed the oil and filter again. Oil that came out looked good. Cut the filter open, it looked clean. I've put another 50 miles on the car now and all seems okay. I stopped stressing over it! So far, so good. Thanks for the advice everyone.

=
I would highly recommend you pull the distributor & inspect the wear pattern on the new gear now & at about 100 or so miles just to be sure you have good tooth contact in the middle of the gear
Check it at every tooth
If it looks good you are most likely fine
If not you may need to replace the cam

Also while it is out pay attention to which side faces the cam.
Grind a groove from the oil transfer slot in the distributor housing down to the bottom about 20 thou deep & the same wide with a dremel or a 3 corner file so it squirts oil at the cam/dist gear