Bronze distributor gear wear

[Nate S]

Hydraulic and solid cams are cast cores so they use a "dissimilar metal" steel intermediate gear. Roller cores are billet steel so they need a "dissimilar metal" gear to prevent galling and possible fusing. Therefore they have been using bronze. But the bronze has wear issues - seems to be great as a bushing but not so good as a gear. And not just in engines, I've seen bronze gears in all sorts of machines that have failed. All for the lack of anything better. Nowadays there are some better choices. In some cases nylon gears are an excellent replacement but in cases such as we're talking about, treatments of steel gears is the hot ticket.

One thing that has me puzzled though is transmission and differential gears. But these run in an oil bath so maybe that's why the hold up.

Interesting. Sorta makes sense. I’ve built plenty of machinery using same-same materials with less lubrication that has run for decades. The galling thing / common metals I’ve only seen with soft metals, SS being the worst.

 

[gkent]

Per Summit:

• Cast Iron

• Harder than composite or bronze gears.
• Used with cast iron, flat tappet cams.
• Less expensive than other types of gears

Could use some expertise here 'cause I'm pretty certain all stock gears were/are steel - not cast. Can't see how you could run cast with cast but not billet steel with cast.

 

[gkent]

I’m looking for alternatives to bronze, so far I’ve only found the Hughes option, who has/sells composite gears???

What's wrong with the Hughes option ???

https://www.hughesengines.com/Index...el1=SWduaXRpb24gJiBFbGVjdHJpY2Fs&partid=28107

 

[gkent]

Per Hughes:

"The "treated" iron gear is a lifetime gear that can be used with any cam."

Wow ... I did not know the gears are "iron".

 

[joe smith]

Per Hughes:

"The "treated" iron gear is a lifetime gear that can be used with any cam."

Wow ... I did not know the gears are "iron".

Guess you should know before you give out POOR advice

 

[Crash520]

What's wrong with the Hughes option ???

https://www.hughesengines.com/Index...el1=SWduaXRpb24gJiBFbGVjdHJpY2Fs&partid=28107

Nothing wrong, just interested in options

 

[1970lime]

A steel gear is required nowadays with a billet roller cam
Iron flat tappet cams use an iron gear... Mix these up and you will have a mess..
As I said above, the composite gear is used with billet roller cams too... they are a bit spendy but work well....

My experience is also that bronze gears can wear down very quickly on roller cams.

Just bought a Trick Flow/Howards HR cam, and the notes says it should have "steel" gear. Trick Flow® Track Max® Hydraulic Roller Camshafts for Big Block Mopar TFS-61602003 - TrickFlow.com

So the composite/polymer gear will work with this cam?