Timing Gear Again-New thread.....

dlfrisch

dlfrisch

Senior Member
As per ……thread 12/15/14 from - five fix

There are too many pages…..Just to state my experience. Re-timing gear.

I bought my “A” with the understanding of reliable information, that the engine has been recently re-built. After purchase and delivery, only a few miles out on a adventurous “A” ride with my wife, all of a sudden, problems with the Coupe. Only maybe 30- 40 miles out- ???? Speed o didn’t work. It was a loud engine knock. It turned out to be the middle main bearing Babbitt. Had it re-bearinged and it ran good, but once again a few miles out (less than 100) it starts to knock again. No other way - removed and take the ENGINE- back to the engine shop and had it looked at and found the a rod babbett bearing was NG. Installed all new rods and new rod babbett bearing(s). After reinstalling the engine and heading out for another short “A” course, it started to develop or expose another knock (third time! ). Getting louder and laughter, spark up and easy driving , we made it home.
After talking to the engine shop…….I pulled the engine front enclosure off of the engine and found the timing gear had a couple of teeth broken, one of the holding pins louse and the gear itself louse and wobbling. Nothing to do with the engine rebuilding shop, except that, for another $50.00 +/- dollars, I think, they should have installed a new timing gear. Metal or fiber ????


After reading the above thread…..I am now concerned, that I installed a new (looks like fiber ) gear from a “A -Ford dealer. The car runs A OK, but how long is it going to be reliable?

Dave
 
I only run fiber gears in my A's, and over the course of 53 years and at least 20 cars have only had two gears give up, both on unrestored engines: one in 1962 and one in 1974. Don't worry about it if you now have a new gear in there, just go drive it. This is assuming you don't have any speed equipment. HC heads, racing cams, and such can put more torque on the crank and threaten a fiber gear.
 
dlfrisch said:
The car runs A OK, but how long is it going to be reliable?

Dave
Click to expand...

Until it fails. :)

Some have had them last thousands and are still going (me) some have had them fail within a few miles. You just don't know. I would suggest that if it is keeping you from enjoying your car, change it out for a metal one and not worry. (it can be done with the engine in the car.)
 
I've never had a gear go bad on my engines, but I do keep a spare under the seat. Mine are the better quality original Ford gear, or the laminated gear, not the cheap fiber gear.

I would never use the gear with the aluminum center that can come loose from the fiber outside.
 
The only fiber gear I ever had fail was in a 1972 Mercury Capri V-6, when I was hard accelerating and hit a puddle of water and back to dry pavement.
 
Not trying to hijack a thread, but I was wondering how to tell which type of spare timing gear to get - standard or over/undersized? Is there any simple way to do this, or is it necessary to tear some things apart?

TIA
Ed
 
Thanks for the return notes. It's nice, to have good "A" information available and to be able to communicate with other Model A owners.

Dave
 
Over the years I've had fiber gears fail. When we built the sedan I installed the bronze gear. The car has close to 40,000 miles on it with no problems. It seems like a simple problem to eliminate by going to metal gears.
 
I have seen them go out, but I think the problem is they are damaged when mounting them on the cam. when turning (or pounding on the tightening nut) the teeth take the abuse. I have seen a few posts on how to minimize this but I think it is still an issue.
 
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