What would cause a distributor gear to wear out?

What would cause a distributor gear to wear out?

The two main culprits of distributor gears wearing excessively or failing can be traced to the distributor bottoming out on the oil pump, or the cam moving too much while the engine is running; this is known as “cam walk”.

Can I use a bronze gear on a flat tappet cam?

Stock flat-tappet cammed engines usually use a ductile iron distributor gear. Softer bronze gears are typically used when running a billet steel roller cam, because the roller cam cores arent as hard as those on flat tappet cams.

Can a distributor wear out?

The distributor rotor and cap pass voltage from ignition coils into the engine’s cylinders. The distributor rotor and cab are subjected to high voltage on a regular basis, meaning every time you turn on your vehicle, electricity flows through them. Because of this, they do wear out from time to time.

How do I know if my distributor shaft is bad?

Bad point connections cause engine overrun, timing issues, speed missing and causes the engine to misfire or fail to start. Look closely at the surface of contact points. Check for corrosion or degradation. If the points look burned or the contacts have eroded or a worn out block, these parts need replacing.

Why do you need a bronze distributor gear?

Bronze distributor gears are made from extruded aluminum bronze with 5-percent nickel added. These gears conform well to the mating camshaft, and will not damage the cam gear. “Ideally, your distributor gear will be softer than your cam gear. This allows for proper mating and prevents excessive wear on the cam gear.

What are signs of a faulty distributor?

Symptoms of a Bad or Failing Distributor Rotor and Cap

• Engine misfires. Engine misfires can occur for a number of reasons.
• Car doesn’t start.
• Check Engine Light comes on.
• Excessive or unusual engine noises.

What makes a distributor go bad?

Sometimes, the issue is a slight buildup of carbon inside the distributor. This carbon trace can conduct electricity that affects performance. It could short out the coil voltage and cause a faulty connection inside the terminal of the distributor cap. The result is a misfire in the spark plugs.

What happens when a distributor rotor goes bad?

A faulty distributor cap can cause your engine to stall. Voltage must be produced by the spinning distributor rotor for the engine to keep running. If the rotor does not rotate properly, the engine loses power and stalls out as you’re trying to drive. The longer you let this go on, the worse it will get.

Are flat tappet Cam and lifter failures risky?

The risk of flat tappet cam and lifter failure can also be minimized by using lifters that are made of high quality materials. The metallurgy in some low cost imported lifters won’t hold up over time. Equally important is the crown finish on the bottoms of the lifters. The bottom of a flat tappet lifter isn’t perfectly flat.

What is a flat tappet Cam?

Aug 8, 2014 Flat tappet cams, with either solid or hydraulic lifters, are commonly used in many street and performance engines. It’s a simple design that works well, provided there’s adequate lubrication between the lifters and cam lobes to prevent wear that can wipe out a cam and/or lifters.

What kind of lubricant do you use on a flat tappet Cam?

Lobe wear, incorrect break-in lubricant. Use only the moly paste that is included with the cam from the manufacturer. This moly paste must be applied to every cam lobe surface, and to the bottom of every lifter face of all flat tappet cams.

Is low ZDDP oil ok for flat tappet engines?

Oil companies say today’s low ZDDP motor oils also provide adequate protection in older engines with flat tappet cams – provided the engine has stock valve springs. But the lower ZDDP levels have often proven to be woefully inadequate in engines with flat tappet performance cams and stiffer valve springs.