MSD Ready to Rund Distrubotor gear lost teeth

[72Jesse]

Just fired up my 1972 Bronco with a 302 with the new MSD ready to run distributor. Greased the shit out of it like the instructions stated and started up fine. Set the timing and let it run and then was chasing down a charging issue and it died. After a lot of poking around I found that 2-1/2 teeth on the distributor gear are gone. Drained the oil and can see shinny flakes in it. Not sure why the gear bit the dust, but at this point more worried that I just pumped metal flakes though the hole motor. Not sure on the year of the motor but had a stock point style Motorcraft distributor in it and the new MSD has a cast iron gear so should've been ok. Pulled the pan and some nice chunks of the teeth in it and pump shaft is straight and not twisted. The new distributor is fairly tough to turn by hand, but not sure what the spec is supposed to be?

 

[Broncobowsher]

I'm going to say that will cost you a gasket set. As in pull the engine, take it apart, clean the glitter, put it back together.
Can just about guarantee that it took out the cam (just the gear).

My guess is the new distributor had a flawed gear. Broke once in use.
No, the distributor should not be hard to turn over. Should spin pretty free. Was it stiff when you first installed it or only after it broke? Could have been damaged as the gear broke. When a tooth breaks off and goes in the space of the other teeth could push the shaft over enough to have bent it. Collateral damage from the gear breaking.

 

[73azbronco]

Or dizzy had wrong gear for camgear used.

Need to pull engine, sorry.

 

[Broncobowsher]

The wrong gear results in wear, not broken teeth. Even with the wear issue it isn't sudden, it generally takes hundreds of not a couple thousand miles to self destruct.
Sounds like it was a fresh install that failed. But I could be wrong and it wore to the point teeth broke. But the way I read it, it failed in minutes.

 

[bronco italiano]

Made in China?

 

[73azbronco]

Need to look at oil pump bypass valve as well.

 

[72Jesse]

Motor is almost ready to pull.... It was running fine and then decided to eat the gear. Ran for and started several times for 10-30 minutes before it decided to let go.

broken teeth

 

[73azbronco]

Just those few teeth no other noticeable damage other teeth, I wonder if a foreign object like a washer got down there and broke them off. Other thought, maybe dizzy did seize in place, you say it won't spin? Might be defective casting on teeth because it looks crusty chunky like pot metal.

Going to need to see camshaft gear next.

Make sure oil pump spins. If it does pump should be fine, those teeth are to big to get sucked up.

 

[cldonley]

My money's on a defective gear. If it were a foreign object I would think you'd see other damage, or find the remains of a washer or screw or something in the oil. Either way, MSD needs to provide you a new dizzy. Too bad you can't claim all the labor and the gasket set it's costing you.

 

[72Jesse]

The new MSD distributor spins, but not smoothly. I'll have the engine out this weekend and see what the cam gear looks like. Working on getting in contact with MSD for support/replacement.

 

[Jdgephar]

Has your 302 been rebuilt? What cam type is in it? Roller or flat tappet lifters? What gear was on the Motorcraft distributor you took out?

 

[56f100bbw]

I had an MSD run ready same as yours broken teeth, but my ex mechanic did it that gear is pressed on With a roll pin He didn’t know it, so it kind of destroyed. My distributor circuit board went out In the bottom of the distributor That’s why he was trying to take the gear Off ,Those are real expensive distributors these days not worth it I’m going back to dura Spark.

 

[nvrstuk]

The only quality after market distributor is DUI. https://performancedistributors.com/product-category/distributors/ford-distributors/

Ask tuners what distributors are crap and they all agree. At least the 6 guys I've actually talked with in my search of tuners and ECU's the past 2 months. DUI is what they recommend. Only guys that didn't were Holley tech's and they recommended the Dual Snych which has a ton of issues unto itself, but they do make it. lol

MSD stands for My Spark Disappeared. Sorry to hear about your major issue but I would definitely replace the oil pump. Not worth not knowing for sure that there isn't crud in it. It's cheap.

When you spray everything down inside the block make SURE you wear a good respirator if you use Brakleen. Proven link to Parkinsons... and you do NOT want Parkinsons!

Gaskets, cam, oil pump and new distributor (good one).

 

[AZ73]

Did you have the correct gear metal for your cam? Bronze or iron?

 

[73azbronco]

Need to see cam teeth to finish "guessing" cause.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Did you have the correct gear metal for your cam? Bronze or iron?

or steel.

Wrong material is a wear issue, not a fracture issue.

 

[72Jesse]

Good comments and questions! Not sure on most of the info regarding the engine as it was what was in there when I bought it 30 years ago. Seems pretty stock based on everything that I've done to it which isn't much. Distributor that I took out was Motorcraft points type and looks like a stocker. I'll get the engine out and do some disassembly and see what else I find and report back.

 

[73azbronco]

They owe you a new dizzy and more...

 

[72Jesse]

Motor is out and the gear on the cam is trashed as expected. I also found out a lot else and not good. The timing chain was very loose. Then I popped the heads and 4 of 8 pistons look like they were beating up something at some time? Heads and valves don't have marks? Main and rod bearing are toast too and guessing that they were bad before the distributor went south. So overall I have a motor that is currently trashed! Piston walls looks ok with no ridges at the top. So, thinking of a rebuild kit with a new cam and pistons.
Crank Journals
Cam gear
Piston top
Piston Top 2

 

[Broncobowsher]

It's amazing how trashed an engine can be and it still runs good.