[angliagasser]

I put a modified 2.3 turbo engine in a 66 Mustang a few years back and I have never got the engine to run real smooth. I am running a stand alone system, the Classic Fast. Now just so you know I have had a few 2.3 Turbo cars in the past, (84 1/2 GT350 and a 85 Cougar XR7) both I owned for several year and everything in this 66 mustang I built for my daughter is new. Now after the distributor gear failed on us with only 2400 miles on the car, from what I can figure was from running engine oil without zinc in it, which they took out of oil back in the mid 90's. So be careful what oil you run in your cars. A guy talked me into putting an EDIS4 in instead of a distributor. Well I have to say "It is the best thing I have ever done". You can stick your arm through the window, hit the key, and the car starts right up without a problem. It has never done that before. The engine runs so smooth now you can not beleive it. Check it out for yourself. But the only problem is you have to be running a stand alone system to run the EDIS4! I will never go back!!!
GT140T with no distributor, running EDIS4 instead in 66 Mustang 2.3 turbocharged SVO turbo engine - YouTube

[Mikel89us]

You have to realize that that gear didnt go bad from running the distributor. It sees most of its stress from the oil pump. If it fails again, the car will still run and probably destroy the engine unless its caught in time. I have had one of these engines ruin that gear due to a misalignment of the shaft that was caused by the rear aux shaft bearing being worn out.

Also, it does run pretty smooth, but mine fires up quicker than that usually within the first rotation of the engine. Mine isnt smooth like that, but i am running n the vacinity of 10-10.3 compression ratio, and that one seems to idle at about 1000 or so rom, mine idles at the stock 750. also i dont have an aftermarket ecu.

[angliagasser]

I know that is not why the gear failed and it was not misaligned, same distributor, same countershaft in the same block that had thousands of miles on them that I ran before the rebuild of the engine. This happened with only 2400 miles on the car after the rebuilt, and the new countershalf bareings shown no wear what so ever.
I did a search on distributor gear failure and came up with "OIL" was the problem. In the mid 90's they took zinc out of oil and I was not running oil with zinc in it. There are a lot of people having this problem with their engine that do not have roller rockers. Cams have been going flat for no reason, distributor gears and timing gears failing. Talked to a few engine builders that will not warranty an engine that does not run roller lifters, just because of the oils now a days. They said they recommend to put a zinc additive in your oil unless you buy oil with it in it. A buddy of mine that runs a shop told me he gets a lot of older cars coming in with flat cams timing, gear and distributor gear failure just because people are putting the new oils in their cars, not knowing that it does not have zinc in it. He said I thought you knew and I said looks like I did not.
If the oil pressure drops now below a set pressure a light comes on along with a alarm going off. I have owned several 2.3 turbo cars alone with a few 2.3 car and they all started right up but they were mostly stock. There is almost nothing stock about this engine, Boport cam largest valve you can put in a cast iron head, massively ported head, and intake, 85lbs injector, Classic FAST computor, the list can go on. I think with more tuning of the FAST I could even get better. Brian Macy a tech and teaches how to tune FAST computors is the one that helped originally tuned this car. We spent several hours on the dyno trying to get it dialed in. He said this is one of the hardest cars to tune he has ever dealt with. Just my luck!

[OHC230]

I have tried to convince people to use Shell Rotella T oil for years, after numerous discussions with other engineers. It is the only one left on the market that has not been regulated to the extent that all key lubricity components have been removed. I've been through this countless times with various customers. Those who listen never have a problem. Even though I tell you this, lubricity is not the problem here, mechanical loading is.

2.3 Distributor gear failure is a common problem with modified engines. One of the biggest enemies is the "high volume oil pump" which is completely unnecessary in most 2300 engines. By the time you need a high volume pump, it's time to switch to an external or dry sump system. A billet auxiliary shaft and a bronze gear from Esslinger can dramatically stave off this problem without breaking the bank, but isn't 100% guaranteed for all applications.

A lightened rotating mass can also compound this problem. The forces from rapid acceleration of the pump shaft, drive the shearing forces up significantly. Again, if you have this problem, it might be time to switch to an external or dry sump system, but at the very least, go get the parts from Esslinger or live with the consequences.

OHC.

[angliagasser]

This engine does not have a high volume pump, the oil was 10/30, and It was also around 90 degrees out for the past 4 day. When we start the car we let is warm-up for 5 to 10 minute ever time because I did not have a very good tune in the FAST is the reason we used to let it warm up so long even on a hot day. I have that fixed now. The cold start tune that is.
I have owned several 2.3 cars and this is the first time I have had this problem and talking to other local 2.3 guy, one who has been roundy round racing 2.3's since they have been out, has never had this problem, but has heard about the oil without zinc being a problem. I live next to and know the owners of the paved roundy round track and there are several 2.3 cars in the 4 cyl class. I talk to several of them and they have never had that problem with there 2.3's.
I still say it was I had the wrong oil in it!

[Mikel89us]

I raced 2.3 mustangs on dirt for 4+ years, We used catroil GTX the entire time, we only had 2 gears fail, and those were both the bearing problem. I think it was an issue that was a rarity. I will vouch that the flat tappet cams wear out from lack of zinc, but i had one cam for over 3 years, and it barely changed the cam, it did wear the rockers though. What do you run that is light weight? OHC has a good point about light rotating mass, every compression stroke slows the crank more on light weight rotating mass, than a heavy one. No matter what the problem is i hope its been solved for good. But i dont think its the oil.

[OHC230]

Not sure what kind of engine mods the guys at the local track are running, but the problem of the 2.3L distributor gear and shaft failure is a fairly common occurrence on 2.3L engines which see rapid acceleration.

If acceleration equals force divided by mass, we could calculate the known forces at work here and determine some kind of guideline, to determine the point of where you might exceed the shear strength of the distributor gear/ oil pump drive components, but we wouldn't even begin to account for all of the variables that we would need, to finish the formula.

I think the X factor here is the viscosity of the oil and the quality of the distributor drive materials. If lubricity is the only factor in your case, then changing to a bronze distributor gear should fix the issue, since the coefficient of friction is drastically lower between the bronze and steel components.

The cost for a gear is certainly reasonable, especially when compared to higher assemblies, like engines.

[angliagasser]

I put a new bronze gear on and a new billet counter shaft.....plus I drilled, tapped, then ran an oil line that sprays oil through a 1/32" hole directly onto the bronze gear on the oil pump drive shaft. This way the gear and counter shaft gear always have plenty of oil on them. Now if the oil pressure drops, a warning light come on and an alarm go's off also, since there is no distributor to stop the engine from running if the gear ever go's out again.

[OHC230]

You should be safe with that. Is this car used for any type of racing?

[angliagasser]

I built the car for my daughter to be some what of a daily driver, but I got out of hand and now it is some what of a show car but street driven.

[OHC230]

It is a very unique car, it reminds me of the Fast and furious Tokyo drift Mustang, only down sized. Do you have any other children your'e building cars for, or is it time to build another for your self?

[angliagasser]

No, I do not. She is an only child and very spoiled if you have not notice. The next car I am working on is a all metal 33 Willys coupe exgasser, but I am not going to race it....much. It is worth way to much to race, have a mishaps and wreck it. The original plain was to run a Ford 4.6 DOHC with twin turbo's. But with the economy the way it is I might run the 4.6 DOHC motor without turbo's on it for now or put a 400 to 500 hp 2.3 Turbo motor in it. So I can drive it until I get the 4.6 done. I have not desided yet? On the other hand I seen an 8 port injection system for the 4.6 that would make it look somewhat like a motor they would have run back in the day. This car ran a 354 Hemi and it best time was in the 8.60's.