Distributor gear for Comp solid roller

[BOutlaw]

Ive got 4039 miles on the 427 SO in my 31 coupe with the 33-781-9 Comp solid roller camshaft. At the time I built the engine the only distributor gear for an FE offered by Comp for the billet steel roller was the bronze 433 gear. Im running a MT cross ram on the engine so removing the intake to  check the gear drive is way more difficult than just pulling the distributor out of a "normal" FE intake. After pulling the intake to access the gear and drive, the bronze gear showed very little signs of wear. I have read that Crane offers a gear for use with roller cams that lasts longer than the bronze gear and since checking the gear is so difficult I wanted to investigate the possibility of obtaining the Crane gear, but have been unable to locate a part number for the Crane gear. If anyone has advice or information on said Crane, please advise. I talked with Comp this morning and they still advise using the bronze 433 gear. If the Crane gear is not available, Ill just replace the bronze with a new 433 Comp bronze gear. Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[blykins]

Comp recommends the bronze gear because they don't sell steel gears....

You can use a Crane 34970-1. 

[BOutlaw]

Thank you Brent, Do you have a mileage inspection interval you suggest for the Crane gear? I was really amazed at the lack of wear on the bronze gear with 4000 street miles.

[blykins]

Honestly, I've never had any issues with the steel gears enough to warrant an inspection.   With the gears installed at the correct dimension (they don't slip on and off like a GM), and used on a steel cam, they should not wear. 

[BOutlaw]

Thank you

[turbohunter]

Just a little experience to pass along.
If you do use bronze, keep an eye on it approaching 10k miles.
I blew through one at approximately 15k miles.
Just got busy and was stupid.

[BOutlaw]

I received the Crane 34970-1 gear recommended by Brent from Summit today.  Inserted in the Crane package is a little CYA NOTE (i suppose) that concerns me. "The use of these gears on camshafts that have previously been run with other types or materials of gears, or the unnecessary use of high volumn/pressure oil pumps, can be severely detrimental to  the life of the camshaft gear."  Obviously Im changing the gear because I didnt want to keep checking the sacrificial bronze gear that already has 4000 miles on it. Im using one of Precisions high volume oil pumps as well. I wish I had known when I assembled the engine about the Crane gear but I did not, so ran the Comp "bronze"" gear. I am ready to reinstall the distributor drive gear under the MT cross ram and had planned to use the Joe Gibbs engine assembly grease on the new gear. Brent and others have indicated they have used the gears for  years but I assume they were installed when the engine was first assembled.
What say you experts of my situation regarding the Crane NOTE?

[jayb]

I think CYA hits the nail on the head.  I can't imagine you'll have any trouble.  I've been running the steel gears forever, on new and used cams, with no issues.

[BOutlaw]

Thanks Jay, that is certainly the answer I wanted to hear, pulling the intake to inspect the drive gear is a PITA...