Reply to "Distributor gear"

Mark,

I used to recommend inserting a smaller roll pin inside the original roll pin. However I have been recently educated on the existance of a heavy duty "coiled" roll pin, this has become my new recommendation (see the picture below). You can find them at McMaster - Carr Supply Company. Their web site:

http://www.mcmaster.com

You'll find them in the fastening & sealing category, or do a search, McMaster refers to them as "coiled spring pins".

Locating the dizzy gear on the shaft is a fairly critical step necessary to properly positioin the moving parts inside the distributor in relation to the stationary parts. Due to the design of the drive gear cut on the camshaft and the mating gear on the distributor shaft, the distributor shaft pulls downward when the motor is running, trying to pull the shaft out through the bottom of the distributor. The gear rides downward and rests against the block casting where the distributor shaft guide hole is located, acting as a thrusting surface. If the gear is located too high or too low on the shaft, it can result in parts attached to the rotating shaft hitting stationary parts inside the distributor.

Since an aftermarket gear manufacturer has no control over whose distributor the gear will be mounted on, it is safer for them to leave the hole undrilled and to let the engine builder hand fit the parts.

cowboy from hell