How does a 20v distribor drive gear get lunricated?

[Sparkyjack]

While at Carlisle my 7a was making a screeching noise on startup, the general thinking from the a more finely tuned ear than mine was the starter bendix was hanging up.
I drove home without issue, unpacked and headed out for lunch. A few miles down the road it simply died, codes said distributor basic timing.
I called a flat bed and took it home, after poking around for much to long i found that the distributor gear was all torn up.
Not sure if the damaged gear was caused by the hold down not tightened down or a lack of lubrication.
The hold down was loose enough to allow the distributor to be turned by hand (with some force)

Thanks,Jack

[loxxrider]

The gear itself is lubricated by the oil in the valve cover area. I wouldn't think lack of lubrication caused that. They are known for failing and metal replacements are available for them. I would just chalk it up to a failed gear (design flaw).

[Sparkyjack]

They are known for failing and metal replacements are available for them. I would just chalk it up to a failed gear (design flaw).

It was brass 034 gear that I installed, I'm wondering end play or the loose distributor clamp contributed to the failure.

[Noisy Cricket]

How many miles?

Brass/bronze distributor gears are used all the time on roller cam conversions on pushrod engines, they are not a forever item, they are a regular maintenance item, but it is better that a little gear dies after a while than an expensive camshaft dies rapidly. (Roller cams are steel, flat-tappet are iron, normally the gears are iron, iron on iron is happy, iron on steel is galling death)

[booested4door]

so where do we get good gears that are not brass?

[Sparkyjack]

How many miles?

I've had the car just over two years, it's not my daily driver, I estimate I've put at most 10,000 miles on the brass 034 gear.

Jack