Noise Timing Cover Distributor Gear Pin Shearing 225 V6

Need help to help neighbor. he has a 225 dauntless that has broken the pin on the distributor gear 3 times in 100 miles.

More to the story. so after the second time it failed, a buddy talked him into that there was too much resistance in the oil pump. He has had this jeep 20 years and just drives around the hood and plows his driveway so not a lot of miles. However he has no oil pressure issues. The distributor spun freely and did not appear to have any problems. Well he tried to take the pump apart and of course one of the corroded to aluminum cover bolts broke so he installed aftermarket timing cover and pump from Speedway or Summit. I am not a fan of aftermarket! He threw the original cover away. Ugh! I could have fixed it. Anyway the original point distributor drive gear pin broke again within 20 miles. So he buys a aftermarket HEI from somewhere. i gave him **** for years he needs an HEI but i was telling him to get the 77 buick 231 one. I help him install the hei and the damn thing would not go into the cover. Like only go half way in and stuck before the gears even mesh. the distributor housing was too big. we sanded it lightly and got it in but not easy. I really think all this aftermarket stuff is not up to spec and does not line up well. Starts and runs great but there was a very metallic noise in the timing cover and i could get it to lessen and darn near go away if i pushed the distributor cap to the side. I told him not to drive it and needs to pull the timing cover to inspect. He finally pulls cover and buys new timing chain. I saw it tonight before removed old chain. it was pretty worn, spring loaded tensioner and 2 bolt guide in good shape. Nothing was loose. Fuel pump eccentric not worn, he tried a new pump to get rid of noise and no change.

I Suspect the distributor gear is bottoming out in the cam gear. The new, ran for less than 10 miles, distributor gear teeth ridges are shiny for about a third of their length on each tooth and the cam gear has a corresponding shiny spot in the root, bottom gully, of the teeth in the center of the root lengthwise. Cam gear teeth look like they may be worn a little thin.

So, just shim up the distributor a bit under the housing collar,right? Not sure I comfy doing this because the tang that drives oil pump is only engaging the oil pump shaft an 1/8 inch as it is. I go back to the darn aftermarket items just aint up to par.

Installed the new chain tonight and it is significantly tighter. I know they stretch pretty quickly.

Thoughts?

Ideas?

Any experience with aftermarket items as these?

Pics of gears. Have more.

Thanks for any help.

 

Just me and I'm no expert, but those gears look awfully chewed up. Rough where they should be smooth.

 

I used after market timing gear cover. Not a problem, the only issue was the oil filter. I had issues getting the distributor in, I put oil on the o ring on the shaft. It went in, still took a little effort

 

Looks like the distributor gear is too big or not round.

 

The gears are junk.
The one thing in common is this all started with installation of the new timing cover.

 

Front cam bearings are known to get sloppy in Jeep/Buick v6's. Also if it's missing the spring and button the cam could be walking in and out.

 

Don't be afraid of or cuss the aftermarket. Many OEM brands that we've all come to trust are made overseas and not any better now.
The HEI distributor installation requires trimming of the stock 225 manifold and one manifold bolt, unless you get the tall aftermarket one from DUI.
Now, when I swapped over to HEI, one big caution I found was that the cheap HEI distributors made in China might have a bad drive gear. Either the pitch was off, or the metal was soft.
The photo damage you shared could indicate either of those issues.
Make sure the distributor is from a reputable shop, like NAPA or O'Reilly's. It should come with a warranty. Do not buy one from eBay! I bought mine from O'Reilly's; it dropped right in (after manifold trimming) and it works great.
Good luck.

 

That cam gear is way too deeply chewed into, especially for almost no miles. Is the gear fully seated on the nose of the cam? You might have to stack a couple gaskets to shim the cover out, or better yet, find an original cover.
This still doesn’t answer what was causing the distributor drive pin from shearing originally. There was something too tight with the original oil pump.
-Donny

 

Same for carburators!

 

I swap a good used original gear onto every aftermarket hei that I install.

 

you guys are great! thanks for all the input.
pin breaking began a year ago with the 225 being virgin.
it does not have the cam button. But i question if really needed. my 225 had, but i read a lot do not. i tried pulling the cam out of his block before removing old timing gear and could not budge it with two hands. I know it might walk when rotating, but....
good to hear others had ok with aftermarket.
It does sound like oil pump binding, however the original he replaced turned smooth by hand.
yeah that cam gear is toast.

anyone have a good cam gear, button and spring and a good used distributor gear?

my neighbor is a great guy, however he gets excited and i have to slow him down to not just shove it back together. He is convinced all the issue was the timing chain was loose. I am not.
Darn retired folks with all the time and in a hurry

 

That button and spring in the oil pan?...

 

Cloyes makes button/spring kit. Order online or thru your local parts store.

 

As the buddy stated, sheared drive pins are usually an indicator of an oil pump issue. The most common cause is chunks of a nylon cam gear or old umbrella seals getting sucked into the pump through the bypass, jamming the gears.

All gear wear aside, it may behoove someone to drop the pan and inspect the pick up screen as well as clean out the sump passages.

 

Agree that binding oil pump could cause it and maybe also the reason for excess wear on cam gear. Also agree that it could be sucking up debris from pan, but each time i hand spin the pump it is smooth as butter on both the original cover and this new set up he has. Oh boy! I might need an AED to revive my neighbor when i suggest dropping pan. I think he has had the front cover off three times now.

Anyone have a good used, or know where he can get a new, cam gear?

Hmmmm... recommend dropping pan when crack the first one, or a few in?

 

Readily available. The gears should be the same as the Buick 350 V8.

It might be time to:
Drink a couple of beers,
get right with God,
and,
Drop the pan and the timing cover. Clean out the sump, screen and back blow the oil passage.
Disassemble the pump and clean out and inspect all the passages.
Replace the worn cam and distributor gears.
With it off the vehicle, assemble the cover with the distributor and oil pump and inspect for any binding or bent shafts.
Once everything checks out, reassemble and give it another go.

 

pan had one small piece of roll pin from distributor gear and nothing else. Screen was clean. I am leaning towards the worn cam gear is the issue. remember he hardly drives this thing. it hardly leaves his driveway. The pin has broken 3 times this summer/fall all within less than 100 miles. Twice with the factory timing cover and point distributor it had when he bought it 15 years ago. Broke once with new aftermarket cover and pump and original point distributor. Then got noisy when installed an hei. can get noise to mostly go away with pushing distributor to the side. trying to convince him to replace the gear.

Question - he bought a cam button and spring from napa and the spring does not have the tang at end to go into the notched washer. Just a round spring that you have to stretch a lot to get over bolt head. Ok to use like that?