:idea: About distributor gear wear (UPDATED!!)

BRAD ARTHUR

yea no problems almost 3000 miles on it. still want more power and trying to dial in the timing and carb. i really need that edel. fuel inj., headers, or underdrive pulley.

bluesman2a

BRAD ARTHUR wrote
thanks to mc, i ended sending everything besides the block to him, he mocked up all parts and found the distributor was .012" to long.

jeepsr4ever wrote
Thats great now you can finally enjoy that engine...BTW it was .120 not .012 :mrgreen:

Wanted to bring this BTT, I'm having similar issues, still on round 1... What was done to resolve the ZMJeeps/Dizzy issue mentioned here?

Other stuff I'd like to throw out here for some help:
1) Low mileage rebuild engine. Old cam gear with new dizzy gear 100 miles in it eats the cam gear.

2) Thus far I have taken the following steps:
A) replacing cam/dizzy with matched set from Bulltear.
B) Timing cover/oil pump look good, no scratches/gouges, but am replacing with Oil-pump reloaction kit and no discernable extra play here.
C) Replacing cam with Edelbrock Performer kit (matches intake and I'm not an engine guy)
D) Replacing timing set with Edelbrock double roller set

What else can I do to make sure this goes back together properly for longevity? Any assistance would be appreciated from this noob!

buttabean

I have put 500 miles on minenow after previously munching 2 cam gears in 40 miles. The culprit was a mismatch. I used a dist gear purchased from jeep/mopar and it ate the cam gear twice. I changed oil today and pulled the dist to check wear. Cam gear and dist gear have no marks and look like new from the bag. Note----just as a precaution I put in the Nick Alfano anti-walk kit just to eliminate cam-walk as the culprit. I had edelbrock timing, but not anymore. Also have edelbrock cam and external timing chain oiler redirected to oil the dist/cam gear as well as splash extra oil to the timing set. After comparing the 4 different dist gears I have laying around, I used the gear from my previous motor. Dist was less than a year old and looked the same as the other gears I used in the past. The mopar dist gear is distinctly different, having tapered edges on the top the teath that I suspect are cuting into the middle of the cam gear on its way through its motion across the cam tooth. Now that I look this closely I see why it is not a matched gear. I can post a pic in comparison if anyone wants to see the what I suspect as the "ISSUE" with this dist gear. There are many possible causes but I found mine.

bluesman2a

buttabean wrote
I had edelbrock timing, but not anymore. Also have edelbrock cam and external timing chain oiler redirected to oil the dist/cam gear as well as splash extra oil to the timing set.

OK, dumb question, are there known issues (oiling, etc) with the Edelbrock timing gear I should be on the lookout for?

jeepsr4ever

bluesman2a wrote
buttabean wrote
I had edelbrock timing, but not anymore. Also have edelbrock cam and external timing chain oiler redirected to oil the dist/cam gear as well as splash extra oil to the timing set.

OK, dumb question, are there known issues (oiling, etc) with the Edelbrock timing gear I should be on the lookout for?

Yes you can look at the oiling groove in the inside hole where it slips on the camshaft....see if its distrupted by casting flash and then grind it out accordingly

mechanical man

jeeps4ever, I am having dist gear munching problems. I see someone mentioned matched sets from you. I cannot find them on your site. Do you sell them? chuck 87 GW 96 XJ

jeepsr4ever

go to the products area in the forum and look in the AMC V8 area...from there you can buy them

Mudrat

jeepsr4ever wrote
nope the rules change dramatically for the sixes

93mustang

Where do you get the anti-walk kit from for an AMC 304? Does Bulltear sell these too? And are the matched gear sets for the 304? Did not see these when I clicked on the products section. Thanks!

buttabean

I am not part of Bulltear FYI----but here's my scoop---- Anti-cam walk kits are available on ebay from maddog racing. I do not know if Bulltear caries them although they recommended them to me as well.I have bought many parts from them and they are reputable. They are designed by nick Alfano and well worth the peace of mind. Almost all parts on AMC 304-360-401 are the same. The exceptions being heads and valves(304 uses smaller heads.) Also, crank/rods/pistons etc. will generate the different displacements(not interchangeable for stock applications) or flywheels(for balancing and weight.) Cams/lifters/oilpumps/water pumps/timing covers/intake manifolds/exhaust manifolds/rockers/pushrods are all the same. Hope this helps FYI. my 360 made 600 miles so far in break-in and snapped my driveline on a sharp shift in to second. Pretzeld the tube, u-joints held up....torqee motor!!

jeepsr4ever

We do reccommend teh anti walk kit sold by Nick and Maddog but the kit was a design not pioneered by Nick Alfano from what I understrand someone showed Nick how to do it and he marketed it.

93mustang

Okay, but on the gears, are they in stock or on backorder? Could you tell me why you don't reccommend piping an external oil line in to spray lube on the gears? I have seen several places that suggest it and just wonder.

jeepsr4ever

Gears are in stock. We wont ever recommend the external line unless you are running a roller camshaft. It isnt required unless your running a roller camshaft. That is what it was designed for. The hydralic cams have oiling provisions.

93mustang

Okay, thanks.

mtjeeper

Gotta bring tis one BTT.
360 with a rebuild last January, MSD probillet dist, cam and timing gears unknown. The reason I had the rebuild done was because I was chewing the dist gear about 4 times, replaced the cover 3 times (first 2 from BJ's and 3rd from MC)and said enough was enough.

So here it is about a year later, and it happens again only this time it only chewed half of the gears, one side looks perfect but the opposite side is destroyed. http://community.webshots.com/album/510056966gFOAiM here are some picts.

anybody have any idea why it would only chew half. the only thing I can think of is if the dist isn't true but I would find it hard to believe a MSD would crap out in les than a year?

Thanks, Matt

buttabean

hmm....I have heard that most of these problems are the dist gear chewing the cam gear. How does the cam gear look? Send me a pic of the tooth profile...I know that the mopar dist gears are not correct but I cant tell from the remains of yours.....send a pic of the good side showing the edge of the tooth from top or bottom view of the gear, instead of the side view. Buttabean

mtjeeper

well, i would but the shop came and got the waggy already. I'm just trying to educate myself and make sure they get it fixed correctly. I had a neighbor say it could be cam bearings making the cam wobble? Thanks, Matt

pyagid

What cam do you have? I know some of the summit cams ended up having some slag covering the oil hole at the end, causing the cam to walk But that should cause the gears to eat them selves much faster than a year -Paul

mtjeeper

hey paul, sorry it took a while to get to ya. I thought my builder put in a Comp but it turns out to be an Engine Performance Warehouse cam(?) i had never heard of 'em. if they end up rebuilding it i'm gonna make sure it's a better name brand. I've got all the specs of the cam, just not infront of me right now. Matt

stroked401

This is all very interesting information, where does a guy get a matched set of gears? Both cam and distributer.

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