Does anyone make a metal gear for the oil pump idler and the water pump drive?

[MuscleGarunt]

Call me crazy but I just don't like these plastic gears. I suppose I can live with the plastic water pump gear but gee whiz the oil pump is pretty important!

So anyone know about these items? A machinist who makes them or some obscure after market manufacturer?

[Noble]

I do not know of any metal replacement gears.  To be fair the only reported failures of the plastic gears have been owner induced.  If the gear engagement is not lined up when the clutch is installed, the gear can be damaged. My oil pump ingested ground up bits of the hardened pin from the auto compression release and still did not shear teeth of the drive gear. Of course I replaced it just as a precaution.  The compression release has a much higher failure rate than the plastic oil pump gear.

[Bandit0]

Tons of bikes have them and failures are pretty low. The only bike I can think of off the top of my head that had an issue are older Kawasaki Vulcan 1500's. As Noble said, the most common reason for failure is the user.

[MuscleGarunt]

I just did a kickstart kit and I was very careful with the clutch basket install. I honestly don't see how you can damage the gear by installing the clutch basket seeing as it is in mesh with the balance driving gear which is in time with the primary gear. So that would mean if the primary gear and clutch ring gear line up then the oil pump idler should be in line too since they are all in mesh all the time?

[Noble]

No,  The oil pump plastic idler gear is not in time with anything else.  It is driven independently off the back of the clutch.

[MuscleGarunt]

No, The oil pump plastic idler gear is not in time with anything else. It is driven independently off the back of the clutch.

Oh snap I thought they were! After looking at pictures I guess they are not. So I broke any teeth off the gear I'd know by now I think. I can see the oil circulating as I look in the frame through the dipstick hole. It seemed to fit together very nicely with a solid clack as it bottomed out on the case. Nothing made any cracking sounds as I tightened the hub nut. Gosh I get so mechanically paranoid I drive myself bonkers.

[jjktmrider]

I have a bunch of bikes from the '80's , all have plastic gears and can honestly say I've never seen a failed gear even motors with 60-70k on them and the whole motor is shot. New Beta's are the only ones I know of the they fail (200-300hrs)and have a metal aftermarket replacement option.

[albani]

I've never seen one break that wasn't user error. they are fusible links though incase something seizes the pump. (which is also unheard of, unless your engine is eating it self already)