Distributor gear fitment.

[rponfick]

In reading some old posts on distributor gear failure, a question came up into my small brain. I imagine the distributor gear has to mesh into the cam gear in a rather precise manner. Considering the variety of cam, distributor, and replacement gear manufacturers, is there some controlling standard by engine type?
I see for my 351W, there are available distributor shaft diameters of .468, .500, and .531. Unless the outer diameter of the gear is adjusted to the differing shaft diameters, would there not be differing mesh depths. And, this has little to do with the variables in gear machining by the variety of camshafts manufacturers.
Am I being too esoteric and anal in asking these questions.

My basic reason for posting is I have a Cam Research 8620 billet steel roller camshaft, and a Petronix Flame Distributor no. D7131700 for a 351w. The Petronix came with a hardened steel distributor gear, with a .500 shaft. My builder took the steel gear off and installed a bronze one. My later research shows bronze gears are fine for race applications where they are replaced often, but maybe not so much for street use. My car is strictly street, so should I reinstall my hardened steel gear?

I realize these are possibly two unrelated questions, but I am old and have relationship issues.

Thanks, Ralph

[rich grsc]

Steel on steel, your builder screwed up. So yes you need to replace the steel gear. There isn't an issue with gear machining, no cam maker would be in business if he couldn't cut a correct set of gears. The lobe profiles are WAY more precise than the gears.