Melonized drive gear

[mopowers]

So this is the response from crower

View attachment 1716542808

Now post the exact question you asked.

A lot of times, you really have to be careful that you don't ask a leading question. For instance, if you asked - "Must a bronze gear be used with a billet core cam?" The "tech" (using that term loosely) may automatically think you're wanting to know if a stock gear would be an viable option as well. Instead, the better question may be - "what types of distributor gears are compatible with your billet core cams?" That one may have the "tech" actually thinking of ALL potential options - bronze and melonized.

 

[MOPAROFFICIAL]

First I've read about this, but it makes sense, since melonized is softer than billet. Also, the composite is the softest, so I bet it "imprints" just the same.

My herbert solid roller uses an old crane melonized gear.

 

[HuntedDuckV351]

Now post the exact question you asked.

A lot of times, you really have to be careful that you don't ask a leading question. For instance, if you asked - "Must a bronze gear be used with a billet core cam?" The "tech" (using that term loosely) may automatically think you're wanting to know if a stock gear would be an viable option as well. Instead, the better question may be - "what types of distributor gears are compatible with your billet core cams?" That one may have the "tech" actually thinking of ALL potential options - bronze and melonized.

Asked if I csn run a melonized gear on the camshaft that was just purchased from you.

 

[HuntedDuckV351]

I tried to call Hughes today but they was closed.

 

[Bewy]

The composite gears do not last forever. At least some of them. I have two here with low mileage & they have considerable wear. They are plastic, with quite a load on them.
My Pontiac dist has the gear on the end of the shaft, like a Chebby. Chinese HEI, it came with a steel gear. Dark in colour, pretty sure it had been nitrided [ melonized ]. Just to be sure, I had it nitrided locally. Using a 8620 steel rol cam. Both have been in my engine for 10 yrs now & car is driven weekly, sometimes more often. If the cam gear &/or drive gear wears, the timing will retard. Timing can also retard from a worn timing chain. I check the timing periodically to see if it has moved. It is still where I set it 10 yrs ago.
I did all this because the 'intel' was that steel-on-steel causes wear. But what about steel gears in a gearbox or diff? Hmm. The nitride coating is only about 1.5 thous thick, so once it is worn through you have steel on steel.

The bronze gear concept is a relic from the '50s. With modern, improved oils, especially syn oil, I wonder if the steel dist gears would be ok without any coating.

 

[MHEAD]

I'm using a milodon 21530 gear on a new erson solid roller without any issues.

 

[famous bob]

In post #5 I didn't mean for it to sound like the melonized gears could be used on billet solid rollers. They cannot. They are for use with hydraulic rollers on a cast iron core. The composite gears work on billet solid rollers.

not so my friend, I`ve been running one on a solid roller for about 12-13ish yrs ..........

 

[Bobzilla]

The composite gears do not last forever. At least some of them. I have two here with low mileage & they have considerable wear. They are plastic, with quite a load on them.

We need more information on this statement.

What engine? What oil pump? What weight oil? Was a new composite gear used with an old camshaft or a new camshaft. Then post a picture of the worn composite gear for us to view.

 

[Bewy]

New gear with new 8620 steel roller cams.10w/60 oil. 455 Pontiac engines. One with stock 60lb oil pump, other not sure. Both quite low mileage, 5000 or less.

 

[Bobzilla]

New gear with new 8620 steel roller cams.10w/60 oil. 455 Pontiac engines. One with stock 60lb oil pump, other not sure. Both quite low mileage, 5000 or less.

I wonder if that thick oil contributed to the rapid wear. I had a composite gear in a small Chevy with a new billet hydraulic roller camshaft, high volume oil pump, and conventional 10W40 oil. Lots of street miles and a bunch of quarter mile passes. I replaced that gear last year after about fifteen years or so in that engine just because I was scared of it deteriorating with age like most plastics and composites would. It came out of the engine looking like brand new.

 

[HuntedDuckV351]

Sorry I didn't get back with everyone on this subject . He just wanted to stay with the bronze gear so he bought the one off of 440 source.