The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Broken Distributor Gear

Steve and Jerry, I appreciate the trouble shooting pointers. The culprit is a stuck/jammed oil pump. The gear did not crack at the retainer pin; it just sheared 3 teeth off. I checked the new HEI distributor to verify the measurement of the distributor gear from the black mating surface. It is the same as the old distributor I removed. I am in the process of removing the oil pan to clean remove gear debris. I will then remove the oil pump inspect it and then inspect the cam gear from the bottom. Hopefully the gear is okay. If not, this is getting to be a very expensive engine.

Steve