I would recommend using a mellonized drive gear. I didn't even get 2000 miles out of a milodon bronze drive gear. Plugged most of my roller lifters and collapsed them. In the process of pulling motor to take apart and inspect bearings and replace as needed.
That's shitty. Sounds like the OP has already run a bronze gear though. The instructions for the melonized gears advise against running one with a cam that has been used with a bronze gear previously. Check out post #5.