My roll pin failed earlier this year about a month after getting the car. Not sure why (maybe I have a disintegrating nylon coating on the timing gears which the oil pump picked up?), but yes, the distributor gear had obviously been apart and redrilled before my time and a spiral pin had been inserted. I put a conventional good quality (i.e. it came with various quality certification numbers) hardened roll pin in have driven approx 2000- 3000 km since then and it hasn't broken again. But I carry a couple of spares in the car permanently :-)
Cheers, Tim.
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