Re: camshaft gear/distributor gear

["Todd Wallis" <cyclone@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Years ago I bought a Mallory dual point dist and put it in a 69 Cougar /351 
Windsor.
The exact same thing happened- the dist gear (which must be made of a 
Kryptonite grade metal) completely ate my cam gear.  I only figured it out 
by turning the motor over and watching the ignition rotor NOT turn.

I suppose Mallory has designed their stuff so that it most definitely won't 
be the 1st to fail.  As you will find, it is probably an issue with 
dissimilar metals.  A hard lesson learned to be sure.

Todd Wallis



----- Original Message ----- 
From: <jmshanno@xxxxxxx>
To: <mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2005 1:00 PM
Subject: camshaft gear/distributor gear


> Hello,
>
> I have found some useful information in the archives on this subject, but 
> I just won't be satisfied until I whine about my own problem.....
>
> I recently rebuilt a 401.  I ran it on a dyno and then put it in the car 
> and drove it one day before I heard a piston knock. So I pulled the motor 
> back apart and found a number of issues.  First, the camshaft gear that 
> drives the distributor gear was damn near eaten away.  There was a lot of 
> metal missing. The distributor gear was still in pretty good shape.  Both 
> gears I ordered brand new from American Parts Depot.  The distributor is a 
> new Mallory Unilite.  When I put the distributor in, it sure was a major 
> pain - really tight. I didn't think too much of it at the time.  Well it 
> appears that they were misaligned in some way.  Now I have major scoring 
> on some of my cylinders and piston skirts and the wrist pins are dang near 
> seized up.  Did the metal from this gear cause this?  All my bearings 
> actually look pretty good - a few scratches here and there, but nothing 
> major.  Something seems fishy......
>
> Are there any tricks for making sure these two gears are lining 
> up/compatible?  Should the distributor just drop into place easily?  Won't 
> there be non-exact and non-repeatable clearances when torquing down an 
> aluminum timing cover with a gasket involved?
>
> Thanks,
> Jeremy Shannon
> 1970 AMX
>
>
>
>
>
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