Timing Gear Nut

[Bud]

How many of you use the old original design timing gear nut versus the new hex design? Is the new hex design a hardened nut? Has anyone had the hex type get loose? Thanks in advance for your comments.

[George Miller]

I use the original why change the original works fine.

[2manycars]

I like original. I made a socket to fit it years ago.

[Mikeinnj]

I use the new hex style to replace the chisel damaged original ones. Never had one come loose,....yet.

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by Bud

How many of you use the old original design timing gear nut versus the new hex design? Is the new hex design a hardened nut? Has anyone had the hex type get loose? Thanks in advance for your comments.

Hey Bud,
As lots of US do not have equipment to make cool special sockets, and as the newer shaped hex design solves that prolem , because most of us have wrenches that will fit the hex...that is what I now use. No problem caused and existing problems with original nut were solved. I would also recommend the hex, as I understand that the 'judges' cannot tell

[Al 29Tudor]

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I use the old style.
Bought the correct wrench and loan it out once in a while.

[colin1928]

I also use the old style

[Kurt in NJ]

I cut my own hex on original nut with a hacksaw----scribed it out, cut it by hand---that was before I had power tools

[ian Simpson]

I use the original style and bought the correct wrench to remove/replace it.

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by Kurt in NJ

I cut my own hex on original nut with a hacksaw----scribed it out, cut it by hand---that was before I had power tools

Hey Kurt,
Hm, Thanks, nice tip I have several originals lying around.

[John Stone]

I use the original type. Taking those off is a problem sometimes. Use the old pneumatic rivet gun on the tough ones which take it loose but does distort the nut some. A little grinding fixes that. As for putting it back on, I used my 3/4" square drill bit and made one fit my 3/4" drive torque wrench.

[Bob Bidonde]

By originality, I take this to mean the camshaft nut's locking feature, and not its cosmetics. The nut cannot be seen when the timing covers are installed on the engine, so judges have no way of knowing what nut you use.

An original camshaft nut should not be reused because it looses its running / tightening torque. The camshaft nut has a bastard thread that is an interference fit onto the camshaft. The interference fit is the nut's locking feature.

If originality is important, buy a new original type nut but do not use the one you took off of the engine because it threads have been deformed. The camshaft has a harder material than the camshaft nut, so the bastard threads of the nut deform when forced onto the camshaft.

I have seen many camshaft nuts that have been damaged by chiselling them off. If you find this in your engine, I would replace the nut with a new one. There is an aftermarket socket available that fits the original nut, so there is no need to beat the nut off. The socket should be in your in-car carry tool bag along with a spare timing gear and a set of timing cover gaskets.

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Al 29Tudor

I use the old style.
Bought the correct wrench and loan it out once in a while.

Ditto

[Bud]

Does the hex repro nut have threads that deform when installed on the cam?

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by Bud

Does the hex repro nut have threads that deform when installed on the cam?

Not aware of any 'bastard' thread on the cam nut, but will check that out.

I say that if you torque the cam nut to proper torque....that I'd bet the farm that that nut is NOT coming loose ! Wonder how many even torque the nut, let alone know what the torque should be

[Bud]

Speaking of the torque, I saw that Bratton's states 100 ft-lbs. That is the only reference I can find for a torque spec. I could not find it in the Ford Service Bulletins. When I tried to torque a new 2-flat camshaft nut to 100 ft-lbs, I believe I may have got to about 75 ft-lbs when the nut threads gave way.

[JD 1931]

I use new style, works great....

[John Stone]

Originally Posted by Bud

Speaking of the torque, I saw that Bratton's states 100 ft-lbs. That is the only reference I can find for a torque spec. I could not find it in the Ford Service Bulletins. When I tried to torque a new 2-flat camshaft nut to 100 ft-lbs, I believe I may have got to about 75 ft-lbs when the nut threads gave way.

I torque to 150 ft-lbs and have never pulled the thread in the nut. That is over 150 engines. Never had one come loose either. Red and white torque also works (face turns red and knuckles turn white).

In a previous thread, offset threads were mentioned as original. IMO during the lifetime of the cam, someone did a little hammer work on the threads to make sure the gear didn't loosen up over time. Have used the new, original style nuts and they screw on the camshaft by hand with no problem.