Back in 2011 on my 1971 Buick 350 I replaced my old point style distributor with a HEI Pro Form brand part# 67088 from Summit which ran on top of my 284 TA Performance cam. Upon removal to replace the timing cover the end gear was found to have worn down to the point where the gears are now sharp. Is this a common issue? I am looking to replace the gear with a hardened one but would like to know the cause of the wear.
Distributor gear worn sharp
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Not common at all. Was it a bronze gear? How is the cam?
That is a Hydraulic Flat Tappet cam correct? If so, A hardened or melonized gear should not be required.
Pro-Form could be the problem.
What shape is the oil pump/front cover in? Knowing a Buick...Not so good.
Pro-Form could be the problem.
What shape is the oil pump/front cover in? Knowing a Buick...Not so good.
Is the cam a roller design? Is the distributor gear black steel or bronze?
Be sure to check the camshaft, too.
Those aftermarket gears are pretty dicey. Growing up, I hot-rodded Chevys and learned the same lesson you did. For me the answer was easy0 go to the dealer and buy a new GM gear. They hold up great!
Being a Buford guy, I'm not too sure where to suggest you go- accept maybe back to TA Performance to see if they have recommendation for something better.
Being a Buford guy, I'm not too sure where to suggest you go- accept maybe back to TA Performance to see if they have recommendation for something better.
Do you still have the old distributor? If that gear is in good shape, you could swap them, assuming both are the same design. I think you just need to drive out a roll pin to remove the gear.
Originally Posted By: The_Eric
Those aftermarket gears are pretty dicey......................
Pretty much sums it up. If you are running a stock cam, an iron gear should work OK. Billet cam, different story unless you had an iron gear pressed on the cam (which I do for street roller builds). Any extra load , like an oil pump volume booster spacer/plate, can cause wear. Verify distributor depth, and cam/distributor endplay.
Finally, if no answer is found remember: Its always better to sacrifice a distributor gear instead of the cam gear.
Those aftermarket gears are pretty dicey......................
Pretty much sums it up. If you are running a stock cam, an iron gear should work OK. Billet cam, different story unless you had an iron gear pressed on the cam (which I do for street roller builds). Any extra load , like an oil pump volume booster spacer/plate, can cause wear. Verify distributor depth, and cam/distributor endplay.
Finally, if no answer is found remember: Its always better to sacrifice a distributor gear instead of the cam gear.
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