Timing gear backlash

[Chuck Sea/Tac]

How can you tell(or can you), how much backlash is in the gear, when only the small side cover is removed. If one isn't familiar with backlash, would I have to remove the front cover So I can actually measure with a feeler gauge?
Thanks. Chuck

 

[Patrick L.]

If you have a dial-indicator, you could use that. The backlash shouldn't be over .010". You may be able to feel that and I'd turn the engine over 180º and check in 2 places.

 

[bphillips]

I'm working on assembling an engine now, and I just checked mine from the side with a dial indicator as Patrick suggested, although I checked it every 90 degrees at the crankshaft for two turns. Using a new aluminum cam gear from one of the regular suppliers on a new Stipe cam (runs nice and true), and a new cast iron crank gear on a new Burlington crank (true within .0015"), I got a backlash range of .0005" to .0030". Since the Ford spec is .003-.005" or something close to that, I got nervous. A little checking showed that my cam/crank center distance was good. After a little more checking, I found that the cam gear ran out .0045" on its own due to a poor fit at the hub. A little math showed that the cam gear would expand almost that much again when it was heated about a hundred degrees, and I'm sure that much interference would not have been good. I now have a set of gears coming from Dan McEachern. It pays to check EVERYTHING...