Its a metal gear that works with a steel roller core. Comp and Crane offer them I believe.

 

If you have a stock GM HEI, use GM distributor gear part # 10456413it is made to fit the shaft size of the GM distributors which is .491, most aftermarket distributors shafts are .500

 

So, do all stock GM HEI distributors use a "melonized" dist gear?

 

No they come with a standard gear. Do not use any thing but the gm gears or you will learn that other gears aren't what they say they are and be installing new cam shaft. wolfplace on this site can bore gears to .500 if needed. do a search on dist gears on this site.

 

The gear at the bottom of the small-cap HEI--'87 and newer pickup trucks, for example--are all melonized. They will not fit a big-cap distributor, the distributor shaft is tiny on the small-cap units.

The large-cap gears are NOT for the most part, so you need to buy the melonized one from GM.

"I guess" MSD sells the GM melonized gear as a "Marine Gear" (after honing it out to fit their .500 shaft) but I don't think they install it on any of their distributors unless you make special arrangements. Could be wrong here.

 

So, basically, i distributor out of a 76 chevelle station wagon DOESN'T have the melonized gears is what you're saying?


The bumpkinette that sold me the engine used a stock 83 pickup distributor in this engine with no (known) problems.

Should i stay with what i got or do i need to take the dist out and go thru the mess all over again?

What could be any adverse affects of leaving it the way it is?

Please list ALL.

 

OK, my bad;

It doesn't say you have to use it w/ the base crate 350. It says "must be used with any engine with steel camshaft." It said that under every other engine besides the base, I.e., HO330, ZZ434 etc.

How do you determine whether a cam is steel or not?

 

Just run this gear and your good:

http://www.sdpc2000.com/catalog/924/products/8318/SB-BB-Chevy-Melonized-Distributor-Gear.htm

SB/BB Chevy Melonized Distributor Gear

Price: $32.95
Part # 10456413 Brand: GM Factory Replacement Parts QTY:

SDPC Recommended Add-Ons



Description

This GM Performance melonized steel distributor gear is required on all crate engines and roller camshafts that are made of steel. If engines are assembled not using this gear it may affect your engine warranty.

Technical Note: This gear is part of distributor assembly P/N 88961867.

 

Typically a (good) hyd. roller cam will be billet steel and have a steel dist. gear on it, which is why you need the special melonized gear. If the cam is a hyd. flat tappet on a cast core, the dist. gear will be cast as well, so you can use a stock dist gear.

I have no idea which kind of cam comes in these crate motors.

You can get a cast dist. gear pressed onto a steel cam, but that is another story.

 

The GMPP crate motors are not the same as the goodwrench motor.

You do NOT need a melonized gear on a distrib in the goodwrench 260hp motor.

I ran that motor for 4 years using an old junkyard HEI with Zero problems.

The melonized distrib gears are for cars running steel roller cams, and that motor definitely does not have a roller cam in it.

No offense, we're happy to answer these questions here- but wouldn't it seem smart to just call your local chevy dealer & talk to the parts counter guy and ask him? They will tell you straight up what the story with these motors are- availability, what kinds of parts will swap onto them, etc etc.

The goodwrench motor is designed as a stock replacement motor to go in a wide variety of vehicles, The GMPP crate motors are specialty motors, and as such they need some specific parts to work right (like the melonized distrib gear).

Buy the goodwrench motor, and pretty much everything off your old motor should bolt right onto it and work fine. That is how that motor was designed.

 

"Melonizing" is a heat treating process of the nitriding variety. Google it and read on...a standard gear running against a cast core will last. A standard gear running against a "billet" core may not. Different material properties e.g. hardness.

My $0.02

 

1) Ok, thank you very much. Now i don't have to take the dist out etc.

2) That's true but my local chevy dealer kinda sucks (now ourisman chevrolet, formerly Rogers' Chevrolet) they got bought out by ourisman 2 years ago. My family bought cars and service from them for over 30 years but i don't do business with them anymore---because they suck. The Place went downhill after they lost their service mgr. John (forgot his last name) But good suggestion though; There's always Lustine.

 

"bumpkinette" LOL

I used to live across the street from a bimbo and her three bimbettes.....

 

Well, i'll tell you more about this person and the whole situation after it's all over. And it's almost over.

The term "OTL" means Out to lunch.

I will divulge all in due time.