Broke down on the side of the Road today

[1 Wild R/T]

One of the reasons roller cams can be a pita... They eliminate the lobes going flat issues but distributor gears & fuel pump pushrods both become potential failures to to material incompatibility...   I believe Bullet cams a steel billet which require either a bronze gear, a composite gear or a melonized steel

http://www.onedirt.com/tech-stories/ignition-electronics-efi/selecting-the-correct-distributor-gear-its-all-about-the-details/

[Topcat]

One of the reasons roller cams can be a pita... They eliminate the lobes going flat issues but distributor gears & fuel pump pushrods both become potential failures to to material incompatibility...   I believe Bullet cams a steel billet which require either a bronze gear, a composite gear or a melonized steel

http://www.onedirt.com/tech-stories/ignition-electronics-efi/selecting-the-correct-distributor-gear-its-all-about-the-details/

It's a solid lifter Cam with Johnson EDM lifters.
I don't believe it would warrant the need for a bronze cam. But that will be questioned JIC.

[Topcat]

I wished we could've pulled the bronze bushing out today but his puller kit didn't have the right sleeve depth the go below and tighten.

[1 Wild R/T]

Being a flat tappet it shouldn't need a bronze gear.....  Obviously something bad has happened...

[1 Wild R/T]

Little searching around, I believe you have a Milodon distributor drive gear?  Milodon makes bronze & steel... Bullet wants cast iron not steel on their solid & hydraulic flat tappet cams... 

[Topcat]

It's on my game plan what oil shaft they want me to use. Thanks.

[Topcat]

Little searching around, I believe you have a Milodon distributor drive gear?  Milodon makes bronze & steel... Bullet wants cast iron not steel on their solid & hydraulic flat tappet cams...

Thanks. I will call them what brand they recommend.

[HP_Cuda]

Mike

It looks like you can do cast iron or composite distributor gears. After looking at your gear again from the pics you put up it looks like the gear is worn at the top, it may just be me and the pics. But after learning you have been using a bronze gear on a cast iron cam setup the differing metal surfaces will chew it to bits.

In a way, this is good news since you caught it now can can replace it with hopefully minimal metal in your oil pan/oil filter.

http://www.enginebuildermag.com/2009/07/properly-matching-your-camshaft-and-distributor-gear/

Unfortunately I tried to look up your cam on the bullet cams site and could not find it. Their site needs some serious help.

B

[Cuda Cody]

   Any updates?  I'm really curious to hear what they say happened.   

[HP_Cuda]

Since you have a Melling H.P. oil pump, you could use one of these based on your shaft length requirement. Whats the overall shaft length?

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/dcc-3571071/overview/
or
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/dcc-3412064/overview/

Based on what I've seen it looks like the 3412064 would work but call Summit and confirm.

B

[Topcat]

Since you have a Melling H.P. oil pump, you could use one of these based on your shaft length requirement. Whats the overall shaft length?

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/dcc-3571071/overview/
or
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/dcc-3412064/overview/

Based on what I've seen it looks like the 3412064 would work but call Summit and confirm.

B

You bring up a valid point.

Could it be that the gear mesh was not correct due to the shaft being a small amount longer?

I called Milodon but the guy answering doesn't excite me with tons of knowledge.
Bullet said the cam is cast iron.

I could just stick another one in but that doesn't answer the question why it happened.

[Topcat]

What could've caused this:

I spoke with Dave at Mopar Engine's West who short blocked my engine.
Neither one of us can recall now if he or I put the intermediate shaft in.

Was it lubed prior to putting in? 

If I put it in, then did I pour oil first then put the shaft in? 

I suspect now that is what might've happened:

So oil was inside of the oil pump hole where the shaft went in.
When the intermediate shaft was installed, it didn't go down all the way into the oil pump.
That's because oil doesn't compress. This caused the gear mesh to be offset causing the wear.
But what more likely caused the wear was when the distributor was tightened down, it bent the shaft just slightly.

The teeth were worn off, not broken off.

I can use a long blow tip to blow out any oil in it this time is what Dave said.
A .22 rifle or smaller rod barrel tip with a small rag in the end would be great.
Loosen the pump is what Dave recommended and tighten it on last.

[Topcat]

Since you have a Melling H.P. oil pump, you could use one of these based on your shaft length requirement. Whats the overall shaft length?

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/dcc-3571071/overview/


Based on what I've seen it looks like the 3412064 would work but call Summit and confirm.

B

Ordered and received.
I ordered it on Wednesday at 7pm and it was at my door the next day at 5pm.   

Summit is so freakin fast!

Also ordered some Joe Gibbs 10-40 oil
Wix filter
Magnetic drain plug

[Brads70]

Did you cut the filter apart and inspect? That would be the first thing I'd do. 

Depending on what I found .... I wouldn't sleep nights without the engine coming apart, too much coin at stake to chance it?

[Topcat]

Did you cut the filter apart and inspect? That would be the first thing I'd do. 

Depending on what I found .... I wouldn't sleep nights without the engine coming apart, too much coin at stake to chance it?

The view I have on this is that it's already ran anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 miles with this condition and any of the metal was fine particle picked up by the filter.

Not likely massive chunks blew off.

I will check the filter, oil, and put magnets on it.