Aluminum timing gear question.

Smokedtires

Smokedtires

Senior Member
Hello all, decided to change my oil yesterday and found bits of fiber gear teeth in the oil. Pulled the side gear cover and confirmed it was the timing gear.

So I ordered a new aluminum replacement gear. Now I'm wondering, with the aluminum mating to I'm assuming a steel camshaft, do I need to worry about self welding of the different materials? Would anti-seize be a good idea?

I know I shouldn't worry about this being a problem again any time soon. I'm just thinking down the road.

Thanks.
 
Smokedtires said:
Hello all, decided to change my oil yesterday and found bits of fiber gear teeth in the oil. Pulled the side gear cover and confirmed it was the timing gear.

So I ordered a new aluminum replacement gear. Now I'm wondering, with the aluminum mating to I'm assuming a steel camshaft, do I need to worry about self welding of the different materials? Would anti-seize be a good idea?

I know I shouldn't worry about this being a problem again any time soon. I'm just thinking down the road.

Thanks.
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In a nutshell, you are likely going to find stubbornness issues removing the fiber gear also. The 'plus side' is that this task is done so infrequently that you just cross that bridge if/when it happens.

The biggest thing I will tell you to check when converting to the aluminum gear is the backlash. The gear clearance needs to be verified in all 360° of rotation. The biggest complaint that people make against using an aluminum timing gear is that some are noisy. Too loose, -or too tight will cause a 'more audible' noise over a fiber gear that somewhat masks the noise. I can expound on this if need be, but perform your due-diligence in checking it before you button it up.
 
Good point Brent, thanks. I worked for a gear manufacturer for almost 20 years so I'm familiar with binding and backlash. I ordered a new crank gear as well so I'll have a couple options. Thank you.
 
If you have more than .006" backlash it will change your cam timing. If your new gear has to much back lash Berts has a fiber gear in +.003",+.005 and +.010" for $55. You could send the one back if you need a bigger one. Aluminum gears are usually used with high compression heads but will work with any A head,they last longer but are a little more noisy.
 
Smokedtires said:
Good point Brent, thanks. I worked for a gear manufacturer for almost 20 years so I'm familiar with binding and backlash. I ordered a new crank gear as well so I'll have a couple options. Thank you.
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Please don't hammer the new crank gear on. Press it on with the crank end bolt.
 
My Model A with aluminum cam gear is a quiet as a church mouse. I drive with my hearing aids off.
 
In 60 years I have always used fiber timing gears. Only had one failure, that was on a very high mileage 31. Which was my first Model A. At that point in my life, I don’t know any better.

Enjoy.
 
You might want to consider cleaning your oil pump pickup screen,the fiber sloughed off clogs it.
Ford used fiber to quiet the inherent chatter caused by gear driving a cam, I run a bronze gear, the chatter is noticeable but unlike a bearing thump.
 
Thank you all. All great advice. I think I'll put some antiseize on just for the sake of knowing I did in case of future repairs. I did install a high compression head over the winter so perhaps that as well as age contributed to the failure.

I did order an oil pan gasket kit. I will clean the pan of any remaining debris as well as the oil pump pickup. Will be a good time to inspect the lower end as well.
 
stevemclark said:
Aluminum gears are usually used with high compression heads.
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Smokedtires said:
I did install a high compression head over the winter so perhaps that as well as age contributed to the failure.
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I don't understand your correlation between "high" compression and fiber cam gear failure,
I know Ford used fiber cam gears up through the late '60s due to their quiet running (and probably lower cost). The failure rate was similar to our A's as most were high milage problems but the later motors ran much higher compression. 9 or 10:1 was the norm back then.
????
 
Phil Brown said:
I don't understand your correlation between "high" compression and fiber cam gear failure,
I know Ford used fiber cam gears up through the late '60s due to their quiet running (and probably lower cost). The failure rate was similar to our A's as most were high milage problems but the later motors ran much higher compression. 9 or 10:1 was the norm back then.
????
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I agree... there is no correlation.

Spring pressure is the primary factor here. Those later Ford motors also had higher spring pressures.
 
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