Since I seldom, if ever reuse a cam gear, I drill and tap two holes in the body of the gear and use a puller that bolts onto the gear, (same kind that's used on a stovebolt harmonic balancer) instead of trying to press it off. That eliminates any stress on the thrust plate. A couple of extra holes won't prevent reinstalling the gear on another cam, if desired. You can also use the two access holes in the gear for the thrust plate screws, with bolts, nuts, and flat washers.
Jerry
