[DEADBOLT]

Got a couple questions.I have a cam and lifter set that only has 40 minutes run time on them in my sbc 383.It also had a hi volume oil pump.The dist drive gear wore out a bit got knifed a little and shiny.Can I reuse the cam and lifters after I rebuild it? I am replacing the dist drive gear of course, but the cam gear doesnt look bad at all it is not shiny or worn looking.I took it apart the motor because of a knocking noise.The machine shop said the oil pump stressed the dist gear and cam gear and shot cast iron particles through motor(I verified) Do I really need to replace the cam and lifters? I am going back to a stock oil pump as well.Thank you in advance.

[DoubleVision]

You can reuse them only if you make sure each lifter rides on the same cam lobe it came off of. The lifters must ride on the same lobe as before as it`s already set a wear pattern, if not it`ll wipe the cam out. I find it hard to believe a high volume oil pump caused the excessive distributor gear wear, as thousands have used them without any issue. Are you certain the cam doesn`t require a special distributor gear? was the worn gear lubed before install? Lastly if the clearances are right you don`t need a high volume oil pump. HV oil pumps are band aids for engines with excessive bearing clearances. HV pumps also cost considerably more power to drive.

[355Nova]

You need a special gear for that cam buddy. Brass gear. They are like $45 bucks new. If you dont it will do the same thing again.

[DEADBOLT]

Thnx, I Checked The Cam Gear Again Last Night.it Has Ground Out Grooves On The Gear Teeth(horizontal).as If The Dist Gear Was Grinding Between The Tip Of The Gear Teeth And The Base Of The Cam.the Dist Drive Gears Teeth Are Almost Knifed At The Tips.the Cam Is An Isky Megacam,the Dist Is An Accel Hei Unit.it Almost Looks As If It Did Not Have Lube Or Was Not Getting Sufficient Oil Splashes.still This Motor Has Never Been On The The Street,pretty Much Cam Break In Time.i Had The Block Cleaned Re-honed And Bought New Piston Rings.also, The Numbers 1-7 Spark Plugs Had Some Signs Of Oil Deposits.as If The Rings Did Not Seat And Blowby Kicked In.again, The Machine Shop Says The Hv Oil Pump Could Be The Culprit.anymore Further Helpe Would Be Appreciated Greatly.