I have a late 80's L98, was carb but now TPI, ZZ3 cam and lots of other stuff.

My problem is that the distributor gear keeps getting warn down by the cam.

Prior to installing the ZZ3 cam, I researched everywhere to see if I needed a special cam gear. No one could confirm either way, so I went with the standard HEI from the early 80's. Low and behold, the cam wore a grove into the dist gear.

I did my TPI swap in the spring and I used the small distributor with external coil ... from a roller cam engine. I thought this was safe. Well I pulled the distributor out last week, and it too is now showing signs of a grove.

The only thing I can blame this on is the high volume oil pump. I know that it takes a more effort to turn, but it seems odd that the dist gear takes a beating.

I read up on GM's melonised gear. I doubt that it would help since the melonising is a coating, and judging from the wear on the gear, it would not help.

Is it possible I don't have enough oil getting to the dist gear?

Anyone else with a ZZ3 cam and similar experiences?

Mark.

 

There is a special distributor gear for roller cams. GM dealer will have it in stock or can get it from a catalog.

 

I looked into that already.

I have a distributor from a roller cam engine, so it already has that gear (or so I think it did).

I might just have to buy the gear and see what happens.

Mark.

 

You said it was an older HEI... The new gear is $45ish and the older-type gear is $19ish, FYI.

 

The gear needs to be a bronze gear. Just go get one and you'll be alright.

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92 Z28 L98 350
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Ported and polished heads, ported stock TPI base, ported plenum, Comp Cams XR270HR-10 cam (lift .495/.502 duration 218/224 lobe separation 110), Edelbrock TES headers, LT4 valve springs, Crane AFPR, Flowmaster catback with LT1 style tips, MSD coil & wires...

"Take that auto, drop it in first, hold the brakes, stomp the gas and grin from ear to ear! :-)

 

yeah, bronze is the material name I was looking ofor. Yeah, bronze, that's the ticket!

 

Isn't bronze softer than Iron?

Mark.

 

you need a bronze gear if you're running an aftermarket billet steel roller. if you're running a factory or aftermarket hydrolic roller you shouldn't need a bronze gear.

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-=ICON MOTORSPORTS=-