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

After installing a Langdon HEI distributor in my 1959 261 it started almost immediately, ran for 1 minute or less, quit, and would not restart. The culprit is 3 broken teeth on the distributor drive gear. I plan to contact Ton Langdon Monday. In the meantime I was hoping you guys could give me some insight as to what may have caused the broken gear teeth. Also, I know I have to, at a minimum, pull the oil pan and remove gear debris. What else should I do, other than hope I haven't ruined a very expensive engine?

Hmm, I have my suspicions, First I would put a long screw driver down and see if the oil pump turns to rule that out. Then check for carnage on the mating cam gear, should be able to view that through the distributor hole and then turn the engine crank to see all the teeth. I know you said you have a 59 261 but did an earlier core camshaft get placed into it? Check this: http://www.langdonsstovebolt.com/tech/camshaft-cast-iron-or-steel-how-to-tell/

Next if it is a cast gear on the distributor, did it crack at where the retainer pin goes through the gear?
Condolences, this sounds like it could be a nightmare on elm street.
Because of the sympathetic nature of this clan others will be along with their ideas too.
Does Langdon use new distributor gears, if so where are they made?

Steve

Did you check the depth of engagement berween the top of the block and the distributor gear? It is essential that the cam gear teeth and the ones on the distributor are fully meshed. Never, ever, assume that a new part has been set up properly by the manufacturer or the vendor. While you've got he oil pan off fishing for derbris, remove the oil pump and disassemble it to check for debris or damage. A foreign object betweeh the pump gears will lock it up, and the weak link in the chain is either the gear teeth or the drive pin.
Jerry

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

Man, I am feeling your pain. It is hard to visualize an oil pump going south because they run with oil in them, but alas, I have heard of failures.

Update on the broken distributor gear: The camshaft gear has about 1/8" missing from one of the gear teeth. It looks like a new camshaft is in my future.