RE:Distributor Gear Wear[sotra long]

[Guynn <amx69@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Bruce,

Yes, I have had tests done on many of the AMC gears we have, and have 
had.  I also posted the info a little over a year ago.

Ascent precision gear did the testing. Ascent makes the gears for Crane 
Cams. I got the contact thru that relationship. Acsent called me to see 
if there was need for a Bronze distributor gear for the AMC V8. They 
were trying to develop new products and were looking at vehicles not 
covered by them. They are out of Live Oak Florida.

I sent them factory AMC/MOPAR gears that were/are curently available, 
along with new Crown gears, and MSD gear, and Mallory Bronze gear. After 
somwe weeks I heard back from them and learned what I posted.  Recap:, 
NEVER mix gear brands because the materials are not compatable many 
times and the gear shape is also not compatable. The Crown gears should 
never be used with any other gear except Crown. The tooth shape is 
different and the ''root mean gear diameter'' is different than any of 
the other gears checked. Also the Crown gears are of two different 
materials. One is much harder than the other. The only reason the Crown 
pieces work with each other is a coated treatment on one gear. The 
Factory Mopar pieces, the MSD, piece, and the Mallory pieces were all 
compatable.

My work/goal with Ascent was to get better Matched gear sets made. Even 
if we had to go to Steel as has Ford. However Ascent made the Bronze 
gears only. The last I spoke with them they were too busy to develop a 
casting for the cam gear. They still have all the pieces I sent them.

Since we are on gears here I will add this. MSD is testing new cam & 
distributor gears. They sent me two sets and I have sent t5hose to 
current AMC engine builders for testing. Mike Luke is testing a set in a 
fresh 360. And Craig Caudle is testing a set in one of two engines. One 
of those to be a fresh 360 as well or his l;atest 401 which ate the 
gears on dyno testing. He has changed cams and will re-dyno the engine.
Crown is also testing new gears. Just before the NAMDRA show in 
September they contacted some Crown dealers to send them test sets.

More gear problems are caused of late because of mis-matched gears. The 
mis-match can in many cases be tied back to MOPAR. Mopar has a bad habit 
of substituting parts at times. When Mopar recently ran out of the 
original Mopar/AMC distributor gears they began to substitute Crown 
gears for them. Problem is, they got the cheap Crown gear, put a Mopar 
lable on the ''box'', and sold it for the Expensive Mopar gear price. 
Not only did they end up Raping everyone on the price, but they ended up 
selling them a Distributor gear that will ONLY work with a Crown cam 
gear, and Mop[ar does not even sell the Crown cam gear. So... A lot of 
ruined gear sets just fall back on non matching gear sets. No matter how 
good the oil quality, or quantity, non matched gear teeth will wear each 
other out..

As for ''where gears come from'', Someonme made the comment 
''offshore.'' The only gears I know of from Offshore is CROWN gears. The 
MSD gears are made by one of two, Detroit gear, or U.S. Gear. Ascent 
makes their own gears, Mallory makes their own gears. Real Mopar 
pieces?? Don't know who makes them.
Another gear out there with no tests done is the ''rebuilder'' gear. 
Thjis gear is the new gear you get anytime you buy a rebuilt 
distributor. It has a telltail sign to set it apart. It has a cast 
groove in it just before the end of the gear. This gear comes on any of 
the distributors no matter if it is Single Point or Electronic. I do not 
know where these come from and have not been able to learn . Hey JESSE, 
out of Missouri, you work for this Auto Rebuilder company, WHO DO YOU 
GUYS" GET THE AMC DISTRIBUTOR GEARS FROM?? I need one for testing.

One more tid bit. We also just recieved our Coated gears back from being 
coated last week. The idea was that possibly DFL[dry film lubricant] 
would help the problem, IF[big if] the wear problem IS due to oil 
properties. If it is mechanical, i.e. non matching teeth, or cam walk, 
or no oil supply, then the coating will not affect a cure. But, if the 
gear wear problem is oil quality related this should provide a solution. 
If this coating proves out, we will try coating the cheap ''offshore'' 
gears to see if they will hold up as well. I am for inexpensive parts 
when the ''do the job.'' If the part does not do the job then no matter 
the price it is not worth it. How many engines does one need to destroy 
to figure this out??

Regards,
Randy Guynn