21 stud timing marks ?

JT1930

JT1930

Senior Member
I forgot or just having a brain fart but I installed my aluminum timing gear on my D&L cam. Put it in the motor (‘37 21 stud) and thought the crank gear had a timing dot like the later flatheads but none to be found. Timing gear has the dash near the teeth but don’t know what to line it with on crank. What am I missing and what needs to be lined up. Or do I have to degree this thing. Thanks.
 
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The gear should be marked. Sometimes it's a small dash mark. Any chance you put the gear on backward?
 
Well there is a dash mark on the inner area where it lines up with the camshaft mark. Where you press it on. I looked on the other side and saw nothing.
 
Should have a dot or triangle. Guess you could degree it? Better minds will know.


No timing marks after to set timing on 221s with a light. Many threads on making a pointer off one of the timing case bolts (or a pointed bolt itself) and making a file mark on the crank pulley. But that only is good if the cam gear is on right.



.
 
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I made a post some years ago that had pictures showing the timing mark on cam shaft hub, cam shaft timing gear at ID where it presses onto cam shaft hub, and timing marks on both cam timing gear and crankshaft timing gear in the area where those gears mesh. In other words there are four timing marks that must all be lined up correctly on the early FH engine components, or timing will not be correct. If I can find that post in the archives, I'll add the URL here.
 
JT1930 said:
I forgot or just having a brain fart but I installed my aluminum timing gear on my D&L cam. Put it in the motor (‘37 21 stud) and thought the crank gear had a timing dot like the later flatheads but none to be found. Timing gear has the dash near the teeth but don’t know what to line it with on crank. What am I missing and what needs to be lined up. Or do I have to degree this thing. Thanks.
Click to expand...


JT …...Read the thread in the link below. Same situation with a '37 engine. Pay particular attention to post #30 and the discussion about identifying the PROPER marks in the pictures. Also pay attention to the picture in post #43. Hope this helps. Click on the link below! DD


https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=233257&highlight=cam+gear+timing+marks
 
If it is the same as a 59A or 99 Merc then the two marks align when the crank is at TDC on No.1 cylinder.

I show it in this video at around the 27 minute mark:

https://youtu.be/7VECw-wcdhs

Hopefully the 21stud should be similar. By freezing the video you should be able to work out the relationship between the position of the mark on the gear tooth and the keyway. Note the tooth is marked on the crank gear and the gap between the teeth is marked on the cam gear.

Mart.
 
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I marked up a snip.

The crank gear mark is a little over 2-1/2 teeth around from the keyway.
At TDC the slot in cam is at roughly 45 degrees. the remnants of the centre are as highlighted in the pic.
425174


Mart.
 

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Doesn´t matter what year of a flathead...crankgear mark should be 3rd tooth clockwise from key...hope i got that right...lol
Had to rethink a couple of times...
 
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Actually Murre's more right than me. I'd say closer to three than 2-1/2. (but not quite a full three teeth.)

425175


A hunch tells me it's at 45 degrees so 22/8 = 2.75. (22 teeth)
 

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Thank you everyone. I was mostly looking at the tooth for a dot like my other cranks I have in my attic. I will look closer and clean the crank gear more. Thank you. !
 
Sorry everyone. I cleaned the crank gear and found it. It’s not a dot bit it is a little circle instead. Got her lined up and on to the valvetrain.
 
Tinker said:
John I looked, I can't find it. I'll look more.
Click to expand...

Tinker, I couldn't find it either. It's possible that the post title said nothing about timing, making it very difficult to find.

JT1930 said:
Sorry everyone. I cleaned the crank gear and found it. It’s not a dot bit it is a little circle instead. Got her lined up and on to the valvetrain.
Click to expand...

JT, good to hear all is set correctly now, and your able to move on to your next challenge :)
 
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