[72projectbird]

I helped a buddy install one of those setups like the one posted above, and it sucked. It likes to leak at the feed and return ports, no matter how you try and seal them up or how tight they are.

On my 71 I ended up running a Walbro pump mounted to the rear frame rail with a Corvette regulator, and used a stock pickup in the tank. Works excellent.

[NeighborsComplaint]

Originally Posted by 72projectbird

I helped a buddy install one of those setups like the one posted above, and it sucked. It likes to leak at the feed and return ports, no matter how you try and seal them up or how tight they are.

On my 71 I ended up running a Walbro pump mounted to the rear frame rail with a Corvette regulator, and used a stock pickup in the tank. Works excellent.

Did you use the EFI push fittings they were designed for or hose with EFI rated clamps? There isn't a real bubble flare to seal a hose.

[NeighborsComplaint]

Originally Posted by Scott65

MSD comes with a gear that's compatible with hft cams, so they're available.

Received from MSD Performance Re: MSD 23843CR Pontiac Dual Sync Distributor

"New message from: msdperformance (8,340Green Star)
No, this distributor has a steel gear, not compatible with HFT cam.

Thank you."

[Scott65]

Thats new, if correct. Maybe you could have a factory gear bored to .500 by a machine shop? Or go to a system that will run off a crank trigger. It's more accurate anyway...

[grivera]

Originally Posted by NeighborsComplaint

Received from MSD Performance Re: MSD 23843CR Pontiac Dual Sync Distributor

"New message from: msdperformance (8,340Green Star)
No, this distributor has a steel gear, not compatible with HFT cam.

Thank you."

Will a BOP Composite gear work on a HFT cam?https://www.bopengineering.com/beltd..._topend5.shtml

[Formulajones]

Just grab yourself a melonized gear, works on all camshafts.

[grivera]

This?:
https://www.competitionproducts.com/.../#.YVRcH7hKiUk

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by grivera

This?:
https://www.competitionproducts.com/.../#.YVRcH7hKiUk

Yeah I suppose that would be one. GM calls them "melonized" and uses them on all their crate engines, so not sure why that terminology isn't used on Howards description, gives me a little pause.

I suggested this in an earlier post and had to go back and look through old paperwork to see what I had done. I'm running melonized gears on 3 cars with either rollers or flat tappet camshafts and they work perfectly on either.

In fact, on a different vehicle here, when I bought a crate 502 roller engine from Scoggin Dickey they sent along a melonized gear for my HEI. They come in both .491 and .500 ( or what ever the smaller diameter is going from memory) I later pulled that engine, rebuilt the original 454 with a hydraulic flat tappet and stabbed that HEI back in the truck. I left the melonized gear on the HEI and daily drove the truck 2 more years before selling it. Still running fine today.

Either way, that's a good link that solves his issue, says it's good for cast iron flat tappet camshafts and that's all he needs.

[72projectbird]

Originally Posted by NeighborsComplaint

Did you use the EFI push fittings they were designed for or hose with EFI rated clamps? There isn't a real bubble flare to seal a hose.

On my buddies setup I used push lock fittings and ptfe lined hose. It wanted to leak at the fittings that thread into the actual sending unit, not the hose or its fittings.

Kinda sucked.

On mine it's full AN line and fittings, but the initial feed and return that go to the Corvette regulator are fuel injection rated rubber hose and fuel injection style clamps. I put a small flare on the end of the factory sending unit, and use fuel injection style clamps to secure it.

[1968GTO421]

Originally Posted by grivera

This?:
https://www.competitionproducts.com/.../#.YVRcH7hKiUk

yup, that sounds good. Here are some other links:

https://butlerperformance.com/c-1272...tor-gears.html

https://www.compcams.com/sbc-bbc-mel...500-shaft.html

Other than Howards and BOP/Butler, it seems most melonized gears are for Chevies. Of course I might have wasted time looking in the wrong places and there actually is one for Pontiacs. For Ponchoes it seems the BOP gear is all there is other than the Howards one. I'd go with the BOP or give the Howards one try. Howards does have a good rep far as I know.

[Formula8]

If you are considering the LS (vette) regulator, I hit the EZ button and used this the Speedway regulator/filter combo. Needed no adapters so I figure I minimized the probability of any leaks: https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speed...SI,375656.html

[Formulajones]

Biggest reason I steer away from those is because it's a disposable item and they don't exactly give those boogers away.

[NeighborsComplaint]

Originally Posted by Formula8

If you are considering the LS (vette) regulator, I hit the EZ button and used this the Speedway regulator/filter combo. Needed no adapters so I figure I minimized the probability of any leaks: https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speed...SI,375656.html

I have the Wix 33737. Same thing but a brand I trust.

[NeighborsComplaint]

There are cast iron OEM replacement cast iron gears and also melonized AC Delco for sale. This issue is what diameter would you buy and would you need to hone it to fit. When those costs are added to the already higher cost of a Dual Sync why bother if you have an HFT cam? I don't trust the composite gear or the bronze. I consider the bronze a "sacrificial" gear made to wear faster than the cam gear and just an internal debris generator. I could be wrong on both counts, but I call them as I see them.

While the Hyperspark distributor already comes with an HFT compatible gear (which does not interchange with the Dual Sync), I don't see any big advantage in spending $300 on one over my spare Skip White HEI. I bought it when they were $35 just to keep as a spare. I recently bought an Accel Ready-To-Run Chevy HEI (no coil) that was $24.99 incl shipping from the Holley Store. It had an Accel module, weights, springs, adjustable vacuum advance, cap and rotor that I swapped over to the Skip White Distributor. I couldn't buy the Accel cap and rotor for that price.

[Formula8]

Originally Posted by Formulajones

Biggest reason I steer away from those is because it's a disposable item and they don't exactly give those boogers away.

Agreed and valid consideration as you can pick of a stock LS regulator locally if you need to. I put a new tank , lines in and I only put about 2000 miles on my car over the last 5-6 years so I figure I will probably do some sort of update to my fuel system before I need to swap it out. With all of the hassles of converting to FI, I didn't want chasing around a high pressure leak to be one of them so for me, this choice made sense. Works perfectly as I am sure the Wix replacement would as well.

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by Formula8

Agreed and valid consideration as you can pick of a stock LS regulator locally if you need to. I put a new tank , lines in and I only put about 2000 miles on my car over the last 5-6 years so I figure I will probably do some sort of update to my fuel system before I need to swap it out. With all of the hassles of converting to FI, I didn't want chasing around a high pressure leak to be one of them so for me, this choice made sense. Works perfectly as I am sure the Wix replacement would as well.

I use them if someone requests it and they work well enough, but on my own stuff I just run a dedicated regulator, and then install one of those in line aluminum case style filters with a cleanable stainless steel mesh that I can mount along the frame somewhere. Easy to service and doesn't cost anything long term. But you'll spend a little more initially for a good regulator and the cleanable filter.

[64speed]

Ok I am confused. I bought the composite gear from BOP. I thought it was the only other choice besides brass for Pontiacs. One of the posts in here listed the GM melonized gear but it was for a SBC/BBC. Will that gear work? It is my understanding that the melonized is superior to the composite and obviously the brass. The hyperspark takes the .500 gear by the way as that is what I have on there now.

[NeighborsComplaint]

Originally Posted by 72projectbird

On my buddies setup I used push lock fittings and ptfe lined hose. It wanted to leak at the fittings that thread into the actual sending unit, not the hose or its fittings.

Kinda sucked.

On mine it's full AN line and fittings, but the initial feed and return that go to the Corvette regulator are fuel injection rated rubber hose and fuel injection style clamps. I put a small flare on the end of the factory sending unit, and use fuel injection style clamps to secure it.

You lost me. All the connections are factory soldered except where the supply and return lines attach at the ends of the stubs. The supply is a 3/8" flare connection (with a removable hose adaptor) and the return accepts an FI push-on fitting or high pressure clamp. There are no other connections outside the tank and I can't imagine either of those connections leaking with the correct fittings or clamps. I planned on trimming the stubs and using compression to AN6 fittings on both anyway.

[Steve C.]

If the BOP composite distributor gear is designed to run on a camshaft with a steel billet core type gear then why would it not be compatible with a hydraulic flat tappet cam ?

A fwiw, a 'high quality' bronze gear can make the grade under the right circumstances. Not always the horror stories often told. I'm currently using the BOP composite gear with NO issues on steel billet core solid roller cams. However before the BOP gear I ran the MSD bronze gear for many years with no issues in numerous engine combinations with solid rollers.

The advice from MSD is key....

Articles from MSD will point out the effort that goes into a ring-and-pinion installation. Yet many don't think twice about the distributor gear/cam gear relationship unless performance starts to suffer. How the dist gear and cam gear mesh is just as important as the quality of the metals involved. MSD states the excessive clearance between the gear teeth shouldn't be fixed by shoving the distributor farther into the hole; this screws up the proper wear pattern.


.

[grivera]

Originally Posted by NeighborsComplaint

There are cast iron OEM replacement cast iron gears and also melonized AC Delco for sale. This issue is what diameter would you buy and would you need to hone it to fit. When those costs are added to the already higher cost of a Dual Sync why bother if you have an HFT cam? I don't trust the composite gear or the bronze. I consider the bronze a "sacrificial" gear made to wear faster than the cam gear and just an internal debris generator. I could be wrong on both counts, but I call them as I see them.

While the Hyperspark distributor already comes with an HFT compatible gear (which does not interchange with the Dual Sync), I don't see any big advantage in spending $300 on one over my spare Skip White HEI. I bought it when they were $35 just to keep as a spare. I recently bought an Accel Ready-To-Run Chevy HEI (no coil) that was $24.99 incl shipping from the Holley Store. It had an Accel module, weights, springs, adjustable vacuum advance, cap and rotor that I swapped over to the Skip White Distributor. I couldn't buy the Accel cap and rotor for that price.

The Hyperspark has a .5" shaft as it's an MSD dizzy - Are you saying the Dual Sync is .491?

I can't imagine the BOP gear wouldn't hold up to a cast iron cam gear considering many use them with billet HR cores.