Timing gear nut

Rubatoguy

Rubatoguy

Member
Is it common practice to use a screwdriver and hammer to secure the timing gear nut? Or is there a proper tool to use? Seems the rebuilder got a little lazy maybe?
 

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The vendors sell a tool. Mine works very well, others have complained they don't fit the nut right. Makes changing the dear much easier.
 
I've also seen this on just about every model A engine that i've been into. Ford used a special WRENCH to remove the odd ball cam nut and most people didn't have one. The tool that the venders sell doesn't really work that well. I'm not afraid to say that I don't hesitate to use a chisel and hammer to remove the old cam nut. I use the new improved hex style cam nut that many venders now offer. I really can't understand why some try so hard to try and reuse a bad idea part that is hidden, anyway. Also the model A camshaft is FORGED and doesn't break as a result.
 
The timing gear in the picture is the type notorious for sepperating between the centre metal and composition gear causing a knocking sound.
 
The cam needs to be tightened with a torque wrench to specific foot lbs. I don't have the reference with me to say for sure how much. To put it on with a chisel and hammer is the practice of a sloppy mechanic, IMHO. Especially when the tool is available for about 20 bucks from most venders. I got mine from Snyder's. It is not Snap-On but it does the job right.
 
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The tool ain't worth a damn. The correct torque is 100 ft. lbs. and can easily be applied with the hex nut that is now offered. Torque can't be applied with a chisel and hammer and I don't ever remember anybody saying that it could. The common man found a common sence way to remove and replace the oddball cam nut that has worked pretty good. The hex nut can be had for about the same price as the difficult to use tool that in know way resembles the tool that Ford used.
 
A chisel and hammer were commonly used as mentioned. There is a special socket to use the original style nut or a special style new nut is available. It looks like you need a new gear [2 piece] so the new nut can be purchased then. A soft rag stuck between the gears will allow the nut to be both removed and re-installed. The nut should be tightened to 'really really tight' [ 100 lb/ft].
It also sounds as though you should get yourself a good repair manual. This will tell how to install the new gear [ mark alignment]
 
Here's what I did last week with a cam nut that came loose.

Drilled two holes in the cam nut, half way between the IS and OS diameter of the nut. Tapped these holes with a 1/4 in. coarse thread tap. Made a small plate out of 1/4 in steel with corresponding holes for two 1/4 in bolts. Welded an old lug nut (13/16) to the center of the plate to get a torque wrench on. Screwed the two together ( loosely as the cam sticks out past the end of the gear when fully seated) Added "blue" locktite and torqued to 110 ft lbs. So far so good.
 
Reproduction cam nuts of the original style cam nuts have been made and sold for years. A lot of the repro nuts are not exactly the same size, i've used them. I've also used the cam nut tools. The inside parimeter of the AC&R fits the original nuts but not so well on the repro nuts. I've got the AC&R tool plus a couple of other repro nut tools in an attempt to try and fit the repro nuts.

With chisel marks filed, or an unmarked nut, the nut is very shallow where the tool fits. If the radiator is removed and you are lucky to have the right nut and tool, its not bad . with an impact tool. With an impact tool you can push directly against the tool to help keep it from slipping off the shallow nut. It can be very difficult keeping the tool from slipping off the nut when working from the side with a socket and pull handle, no matter how well it matches the nut. I used the vender tools and repro nuts on the gears that I replaced, through 97. Now that a new hex style cam nut is available for just over twelve dollars, Purdy Swoft won't be fighting the odball cam nuts again. I did put all of the odd ball nuts in a coffee can. I saved them with my little collection of purtys.
 
Three weeks ago I changed my timing gear. I filed off the burs from the past installer and bought the tool from Bratton's and it worked perfectly. Replaced the ford nut with a new original style nut and torqued it to 100 ft. lbs.
Very happy with the way it turned out.
Al Leach
 
Rubatoguy said:
Is it common practice to use a screwdriver and hammer to secure the timing gear nut? Or is there a proper tool to use? Seems the rebuilder got a little lazy maybe?
Click to expand...

Hi from Banks, OR. My timing gear looked the same as you have shown. The only way I could get it off was to use a chisel. I put it back on the same way after getting a new gear. I did also buy a tool which did not work for me. Looking back on the job, I should have replaced the nut with the hex type nut.\

Have fun.
 
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