Composite Distributor Gear

[WhiskeyGN]

Just bought this gear and the thing seems plastic, was wondering if anyone had any good/bad things to say about it.




http://www.weberpowerproducts.com/buick-v6-composite-distributor-gear-p/wre-bdcg104.htm

 

[m233roller]

I bought one of those composite gears a couple of years ago and before I had a chance to install it I went to the GS Nationals and Racing Jason of RJC had one there that he stripped ALL the teeth off it. I came home and sold mine !!

 

[ek02]

TA makes bronze gears that work well on billet or cast cams for 45.00.

 

[Nick Micale]

If you are having an issue with your cam sensor gear, it is probably because you are using high volume oil pump gears? These longer gears put much more stress and load on the sensor drive gear and the cam gear.

If you use a stock type cam with an integral gear, this can lead to an unpleasant, and unplanned experience.

We never use HV gears in a Buick V-6, and do not need to if the oiling system is set up properly. We have many 9 sec. GN's and some 8 sec. ones that use stock gears, and never have oil supply issues.

As far as your case, in 25 years of working on GN's I have never seen an issue on street cars with the cam sensor gear wearing, except on cars with HV gears.

 

[BEATAV8]

I have seen gear wear issues on billet core camshafts, but it makes sense because there's no oil provision for those setups.

I have used the polymer gear and it worked fine. I tried to address my gear wear issue on that billet cam assembly by using the polymer gear. It lasted much longer than the iron gear, but it too eventually wore out. The real fix is to plumb some oil over there to squirt on the gears. Several older threads about it on here.

 

[JayC]

We used one on the crank sensor for the BWR car. Worked great but we had a dry sump on that car.

 

[pdzz]

Like this..

 

[gnmaster2004]

I had a wear problem on the stock cam sensor gear with a billet cam. Replaced it with a composit gear and problem solved.

 

[TurboBuRick]

Pulled my cam sensor last night to prime oil pump. Gears are wore out big time. I did replace both cam and sensor gears a couple years ago and I do have one of the gallery plugs drilled to feed oil. Still wore out.

I do have a high volume pump. (I hear ya Nick ) Hot idle oil pressure is 10-15. Cold oil pressure on the other hand is a way different. 80+ . I think cold starts are whats over stressing the oil pump drives.

I ordered new gears. I'm going to change the bypass spring to let the pressure off on cold starts.

Rick

 

[BEATAV8]

Pulled my cam sensor last night to prime oil pump. Gears are wore out big time. I did replace both cam and sensor gears a couple years ago and I do have one of the gallery plugs drilled to feed oil. Still wore out.

Does it squirt any oil directly onto the gears? Or is the drilling squirting somewhere else?

Mine would make a tapping noise when it wore out. Did yours too? (curiosity on my part)

So far so good here using a cast camshaft with a factory style oil hole. Thank heavens....

 

[TurboBuRick]

Hello Steve

Not directly but it's I know it's getting plenty oil. It's dripping of the gear when I pull the cam sensor.

Not sure about the tapping. I'm going to start it here in a little bit. I'll let you know on that.

Have you pulled the cam sensor lately?

Whats you cold start oil pressure?

 

[BEATAV8]

I haven't pulled mine out since assembly (3 yrs). I run that 20W50 VR1 stuff, so cold oil pressure is really high... pegs the gauge at over 100psi so it's somewhere over that. Warm idle is 30 and hot idle is 20-25.

It's been very quiet all along so I haven't had the desire to check it. I will pull the cap and see if the gear lash is getting sloppy or if it's still reasonable. When it went together it had some light lash as it should.

I remember my worn out setup had quite a lot of lash, noticeably sloppy after just 1500 miles or so.

 

[Nick Micale]

.......... I think cold starts are whats over stressing the oil pump drives.......
........................ I'm going to change the bypass spring to let the pressure off on cold starts.

Rick

In my opinion, I do not think cold starts would be your problem, and I would rather use a filter with less restriction and more flow rather than change the by-pass spring?

We have many engines with start up pressure 80-100 psi, and never seen gear wear.

The Wix and Fram racing filters have much more flow than replacement filters.

 

[TurboBuRick]

That's hard for me to swallow Nick. 6 of 1 half a dozen of another.

If the theory that a high volume oil pump causes cam sensor gear wear it is assumed the bigger gears are adding stress.

Excessive oil pressure will also over stress the gears. Even with the best flowing filters the bypass valve is opening on cold start up. Oil pressure goes right to the pressure that overcomes the relief spring. That's why we are seeing 80+ on cold starts.

I put lighter spring in my pump. My oil pressure now peaks at 60lbs.. Even cold starts with 20w-50.

It does not bother me that more oil is bypassing the filter.No real dirt in the motor. Even with heavier springs oil bypasses. Just doing so at a higher pressure which IMO is not needed and will cause just as much stress (if not more) than hv oil pump.

Mr. Dickerson

I'd like to see what your cam sensor gear looks like now.

Rick

 

[BEATAV8]

I will pull the cap and check the lash tonight. If it seems to be getting sloppy I will definitely pull the sensor.