Fiber or Aluminum

38Tudor

38Tudor

Member
I'm looking into changing my timing (cam/crank) gears. I've seen fiber and aluminum. Which type is recommended? Pros and cons.
Thanks.
 
I went with an aluminum press on timing gear after a repro fiber gear failed in about 1500 miles. I don't hear any noticable difference in noise, but then my hearing is not all that good :). The good news is that aluminum gear has given me 20k+ trouble free miles and still going. I would recommend going aluminum on the timing gear. Why are you thinking about replacing the crank gear?
 
I'd check the condition of the crank gear before I made the decision to replace or not. Would definitely go with the aluminum gear.

I played the video. Does the car make the same whining noise when not in motion?
 
go aluminum, I doubt if you can find an American made fiber cam gear, the Chinese stuff is worse than junk, they become oil soaked quick and soften and loose teeth off the gear
 
38Tudor said:
I'm looking into changing my timing (cam/crank) gears. I've seen fiber and aluminum. Which type is recommended? Pros and cons.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

You will hear..but their nosier , but do not believe it , as old wives tale :)!
Maybe you would / should check out a guy named Dan Mc Eachern. He MAKES gears, and they are like jewelry ! He makes the cam and crank gears matched ! He makes the crank gear of steel not iron ! And, he makes a bronze cam gear with matching crank gear(what I got).
I run aluminum, NO noise. I kinda wish and expected that there would be noise ...it's a guy thing,eh :D

BTW..when running gears straight cut, yeah expect noise. But most today are not made that way.
 
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If the noise is present with the belt off, but changes pitch as the engine speed is changed, I'd check the clutch pedal free play to be sure the noise isn't coming from the release bearing. You need at least an inch of free play
 
Another thought while you're in there: take out the galley plug and drill a .046" hole or so for oil to spray the back side of the gears. I think I saw this in one of the Aussie rebuild books and I did it on my 8BA. With that, I still have 50 pounds of pressure running down the road with 40 wt. and M19.
 
Does anyone still sell new aluminum press on gears or do you just have to search and hope to find a good used one or a NOS one?
 
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