20V Distributor Gear Fab Program Summary

[Bernie Benz]

FYI, here are some program notes that may be of interest to you 20V listers.

First, we investigated many gear fab shops, none of which had interest or
suitable equipment to undertake this job, until fellow lister, Alan Cordeiro
contacted one of his past gear vendors, LFW Mfg. in Stockton, CA, a small
shop owned by a true gear expert, who had an interest in our job as a
fill-in project in his then slow business.  We first tried to characterize
the gear design from a plastic gear, but the tooth to tooth errors were so
gross that this was was impossible.  Next, we went to both 20V lists to find
a loaner steel gear distributor, donated by Chip Ellis, of Denver (We are
forever indebted, Chip!).  In characterizing this machined steel gear we
realized that it was a real odd ball, having neither a standard metric nor
inch series tooth profile, further implying that a suitable gear hob (a
rotory cutting tool having a specific tooth profile built into it) would not
be available.  So, the correct hob had to be speced and ordered from a tool
vendor, resulting in a 3 month program delay.

The long and short of it is that this gear fab program has produced a fine
quality, bronze replacement gear for our distributors, and in a larger
quantity than originally intended (125 pcs) to partially absorb the hob cost
within the original part price quote.  To date, half of these have been
shipped to prepaid listers, and the remaining quantity is immediately
available to you 20V listers.  From my perspective, this is a one shot
opprotunity to participate in this insurance program at this price.  A
second fab run certainly is possible using the new hob at LWF, but IMO at a
higher price, to cover LFW's unanticipated hob investment, and it may be
very dificult to find enough customers for an additional 100 piece order.
Don't let that plastic gear destroy your 20V, as has happened when a piece
of plastic gear catches between a cam lobe and lifter, stripping the timing
belt with resultant destruction of valves and pistons.  The alternative to
replacing the gear at about $40. is to replace the whole distributor at
about $230, as some have already done.

For more info, my installation instructions, and signup, contact Derek,
copied above, or contact me with technical Qs.

Bernie