~ 1969 Removing distributor gear

[Raven R code 281]

I tore my distributor apart once back in 1988....now I'm stumped on removing the gear after removing the pic. Does the gear get tapped off with a copperhead hammer or is it possible that corrosion set in?

 

Then on a second note.....since I chipped one of the gear teeth already, what I'd a good replacement gear? I see they have brass , but is that too soft of a metal?

[Mach1 Driver 560]

Chris Staub (a custom cam builder) suggests to use a Crane melonized steel distributor gear honed to fit your distributor. A brass gear is intended for racing and will not harm your camshaft gear but it is self sacrificing and will need to be replaced about once a year. The Crane gear is the same one they used to make and discontinued for several years during their transition.

[1969_Mach1 333]

The gear has a PRESS FIT onto the distributor shaft.  Use a hydraulic press to remove and install or some type of puller/installer.  Unless the press fit is bad (loose), using a hammer will likely damage something on the distributor or your brass hammer.  To install without a hydraulic press I have had success heating the gear in an oven at 400 deg. for about 10 minutes then very quickly install it and align the original roll pin holes.

 

Without a press fit the roll pin by itself will sometimes fail leaving you stranded on the side of the road.  New gears do not need to be honed to fit as that could eliminate the press fit.

[MikeStang 247]

Its press fit, and be sure to measure the distance on the gear, don't just line up the 2 holes and put the pin in.

[Mach1 Driver 560]

 New gears do not need to be honed to fit as that could eliminate the press fit.

Yes it must be a press fit or the pin will eventually break and the gear become loose. In my case it had to be honed to make it a press fit for a MSD distributor. According to Chris all the aftermarket distributors have Chinese gears that are junk and won't last or chew-up your cam gear.

[MikeStang 247]

I replaced the gear on my MSD unit... I ordered an MSD gear and got a Gear built and packaged by Mallory..It was JUNK..Called them and ordered another one and it was the same, so I ended up getting one from somewhere else that looked identical to the orig MSD gear and was packaged in an MSD package... The machining on the Mallory gear was rough and the pin hole diameter was WAY smaller than the pin so much so that I tried driving the pin in off of the dist and it totally deformed the pin...Basically you would have had to Crush the roll pin to get it to fit.

[1969_Mach1 333]

From what it looks like, MSD now owns Mallory.  You have to be careful when ordering parts.  In the case of the dist gears, you need to also look at the pricing.  The MSD gear is much more expensive than the Mallory gear.

[Max Power 74]

From what it looks like, MSD now owns Mallory.  You have to be careful when ordering parts.  In the case of the dist gears, you need to also look at the pricing.  The MSD gear is much more expensive than the Mallory gear.

Actually, Holley bought MSD group last year, which had previously purchased Mallory. Accel is also part of that group, so basically all your performance ignition parts come from the same company now.

[Brian Conway 264]

Isn't that wonderfull.  

[SWPruett 83]

.......and then......depression set in.