[DavidG]

Frank,

If you cut off those ledges you've lost me. They are there for the best of reasons and that is to take the shear load off the two bolts that hold the bracket to the timing gear cover. Think of the pounding that those two bolts would take without the ledges; before long they would beat their threads (steel against cast iron) into ovals.

As you said, if you cut your motor mount bracket to retrieve the timing gear cover you still would have to move the pulley forward to attach a replacement bracket. (If you can't remove it for lack of clearance, you cannot replace it for the same reason.)

There were three different timing gear covers used on 1928-34 four cylinder engines and only the one designed for use in '33-'34 chassis will work in yours. The other two were designed for use in chassis with vertical radiators and crankshaft pulleys nearly an inch longer than yours. Which in turn means that the generator pulleys were nearly an inch further forward. Since the generators attach to the timing gear covers and the generator mounting brackets are all basically the same in terms of dimensions, you have to have the unique-to-'33/'34 timing cover or else your fan belt won't line up with all three (water pump, generator, and crankshaft) pulleys.

I suggest you take a real close look at that other timing gear cover you have and see if the boss for mounting the generator is in exactly the same position front to back as that on your car's timing gear cover.

Ford did not produce any vehicles in North America during either the 1935 model or calendar years that were powered by four-cylinder engines. Ford did continue to produce the engines in the U.S. into the early 1940s, but only for service replacements and for use as industrial engines. I'm curious as to why you think that your spare engine is a '35. A couple of photos of the timing gear cover of that engine would be very educational as well.

Ford did release a two-piece crankshaft pulley for service which is much easier to remove, but not for '33-'34 fours, just for the Model As and '32s. That's unfortunate in this instance.

I doubt if the motive for what you've encountered is money as it was not cheap to tool up for a new timing gear cover, crankshaft pulley, and water pump to accommodate the slanted radiator of the '33-'34s. Whatever the reason, it's engineering at its worst.

You're right about the original assembly sequence; the crank pulley had/has to be added last, which I learned the hard way.