mopowers
Well-Known Member
Is Hughes the only source for a melonized small block distributor gear? Does anyone else sell these?
Melonized Distributor Gear Source
- Thread starter mopowers
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4mulas
Fixem'up
Junkyard out of a magnum motor. Crane made them. Mopar might still have them?
mopowers
Well-Known Member
Magnum motor distributor drives are melonized? I've never heard that before. What about distributor gears from the later 'roller cam' LA motors? Is there a way to tell by looking at it?
4mulas
Fixem'up
Magnum motors are factory roller cam. Same drive gear length etc…. LA roller like;y have the same pump drive as magnum
mopowers
Well-Known Member
So, stock magnum gears can be run with a billet cam?
RustyRatRod
Caput villa stultus
That's not my understanding. Never heard that before. The stock Magnum cams are on a cast core, so they don't need a melonized gear and you can dang well bet Chrysler didn't waste the money on it.
4mulas
Fixem'up
Apparently not according to Rusty. I’m under the assumption that (and may be wrong now) that all roller cams were all billet. I’m just thinking out loud here in saying if what he heard is true why wouldn’t all manufactures make their roller cams on a cast core then?
Mopar perf catalogue in 2002 distinguished two oil pump driveshaft’s for “A” engines both with hardened tip but one for cast cams and the other for roller. The roller cam driveshaft part number is P3690874, the regular one is P3690715.
When I also look at the camshaft picture for the one they used and specified in my crate motor, the 402, it sure looks billet to me?
The MP one is actually a bronze one too. (P3690874). I’m going to look in my motor the next time my distributor is out….
So Mopower, I can no longer be finite in my answer to this. Sorry.
RustyRatRod
Caput villa stultus
Well, I'm not 100% sure. What I AM sure of is the Magnum cam cores are cast. I'm also sure that cast core cams don't need melonized gears. Lastly, I am also sure that Chrysler built these things as cheaply as possible. Kinda an A+B=3. lol
4mulas
Fixem'up
When you say it this way you’re more than likely right. And yes of course you need just a regular gear on a cast cam. I wonder why other makers just don’t make them all cast then too, rather than subjecting buyers to expensive cams, and driveshaft etc….
I know less and less everyday…. Lol
And mopowers, yes of you have billet cam you need melonized or bronze. Don’t listen to anything I said. Maybe including this. Lol
RustyRatRod
Caput villa stultus
Because of the spring pressure required of higher lift more aggressive rollers. There's so much spring pressure involved it will actually bend the camshaft. They won't last long like that, so something stronger has to be used.
RustyRatRod
Caput villa stultus
Well I wouldn't go that far. They could be melonized. I don't know for sure that they aren't. It just doesn't make sense because they don't have to be.
The cam that came out of my 1990 roller 360 is a cast iron core but it came from Hughes.
RustyRatRod
Caput villa stultus
Cast iron is cast iron.
mopowers
Well-Known Member
Is it cast iron or cast steel? Not sure if it matters, but there seems to be conflicting info out there.
RustyRatRod
Caput villa stultus
mopowers
Well-Known Member
Which cam and how long ago was it? When I talked to them today, it was melonized or nothing.
Are they the only source for these magical melonized gears?
RustyRatRod
Caput villa stultus
Probably....unless you have a Chevy. lol
RustyRatRod
Caput villa stultus
This explains how to tell if a gear is melonized.
engineaddiction.com
How To Tell If A Distributor Gear Is Melonized? Explained!
This article will guide you on how to tell if a distributor gear is melonized or not. You can also find out the benefits of melonized distributor gears here, especially regarding wear and corrosion.
engineaddiction.com
It’s a SER 1822ALN-10. It’s like 3 years old I think? I asked them last year if the HUG6215 was mandatory and it was a no, just assed insurance. He had them in stock too, so he could have said yes to get me to buy one lol. Maybe all they have now is billet cams?
Cast steel?
I have only heard that mentioned once before.
What components are made this way? I’m primarily familiar with cast iron and forged steel.
I have only heard that mentioned once before.
What components are made this way? I’m primarily familiar with cast iron and forged steel.
I've ran the stock distributor gears on billet roller cams in my 440's for years and I've never had an issue.
I am not sold on bronze gears for sure. I've seen more problems than not with them. Melonized has to be the way to go if you're worried about it.
Tom
I am not sold on bronze gears for sure. I've seen more problems than not with them. Melonized has to be the way to go if you're worried about it.
Tom
This is what the cam looks like. I can’t tell what it is made from. He definitely said the HUG6215 was not needed though.
Bobzilla
Well-Known Member
Is this version one that has the smaller base circle and takes longer pushrods or is it specified as a new core? I have a Hughes cam one size smaller than that one and they were 100% sure I needed to run a melonized gear or a bronze gear. Mine is definitely a new core and has the same appearance as yours, all smooth and "looking" like a billet steel core.
Remember, when you call and ask for technical advice they, any technical help line personal at any company, will give you an answer whether they know the correct answer or not.
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