[grivera]

Originally Posted by 65 Lamnas

I don't have anything but break-in and dyno time on mine. Actually getting ready to put the engine in and decided to pull distributor. Noticed some wear on the Watermelon-ized gear which I don't like. I don't know much about that type of gear, but I think it's just a coating. Looks like the coating is gone on the drive side of the gear teeth. Maybe it's insignificant, but I've never had an issue with the BOP composite gear. Another 1/8" of engagement would be nice.

Do you have a roller cam? Assume that has massaged the cam gear enough?

BTW - mine arrived today!

[promptcritical]

Originally Posted by 73ta

I'm playing with mine today. My factory tach is off -500 RPM.

They don’t have a fix for using a factory tach? 500 rpm is a lot.

[grivera]

So I did a Google search on melonized gears vs billet steel camshafts. AI indicated that melonized hardened gears are compatible with some steel core cam gears, but not 5160 steel. So then searched to see what steel comp cams uses, and it says they use 5160 among others. Guess I’ll have to send Comp Cams my cam card and ask what steel was used.

[65 Lamnas]

Originally Posted by grivera

Do you have a roller cam? Assume that has massaged the cam gear enough?

BTW - mine arrived today!

I have a roller cam.

The whole thing about “smoothing out the cam gear” by running a bronze or steel gear came about roughly 20 years ago. Crane Cams had an issue where the final machining of the cam gear was missed and A LOT of cams were sold with an extremely rough cam gear. It was recommended to run a bronze gear for a couple hundred miles to knock off this roughness and then switch to a composite gear.

“Massaging” the cam gear hasn’t been a “thing” for a long time.

[65 Lamnas]

Originally Posted by grivera

So I did a Google search on melonized gears vs billet steel camshafts. AI indicated that melonized hardened gears are compatible with some steel core cam gears, but not 5160 steel. So then searched to see what steel comp cams uses, and it says they use 5160 among others. Guess I’ll have to send Comp Cams my cam card and ask what steel was used.

Go for it if you like doing research. If not, put on a BOP gear and forget about it.

[Verdoro 68]

+1 on the BOP gear. I removed the melonized gear and installed the BOP I had been running with the stock distributor. Seemed like more of a known quantity.

It took a little bit to dial in a timing setup, but I'm loving my Progression distributor. The car starts better and feels more responsive. I'm not sure what could cause a discrepancy in tach. Originally, I had my hood tach wired to the coil, but swapped it over to the tach lead from the distributor. Works as expected, but my hood tach is a repro so maybe the electronics are different.

[73ta]

Originally Posted by promptcritical

They don’t have a fix for using a factory tach? 500 rpm is a lot.

I replaced my old tach board electronics on mine. It was off 500 rpm low. Much better now. Old electronics values change.

[grivera]

Originally Posted by 65 Lamnas

Go for it if you like doing research. If not, put on a BOP gear and forget about it.

I have the BOP gear in the shelf

[rolling money pits]

Originally Posted by 65 Lamnas

I have a roller cam.

The whole thing about “smoothing out the cam gear” by running a bronze or steel gear came about roughly 20 years ago. Crane Cams had an issue where the final machining of the cam gear was missed and A LOT of cams were sold with an extremely rough cam gear. It was recommended to run a bronze gear for a couple hundred miles to knock off this roughness and then switch to a composite gear.

“Massaging” the cam gear hasn’t been a “thing” for a long time.

Cliff has stated in the past smoothing the edges of the cam gear with a diamond file. Just tiny swipes off the machined edge from what I recall.