Dry Camshaft Gear

[Chuck Dempsey]

My camshaft gear striped, and I've read that is not uncommon. It looks like a replacement 'fiber' type. I say replaced, because the connector bolt has chisel marks where someone has removed it in the past. My problem is that the gear seems very dry. I've tried to understand the oiling diagram attached, and it seems like the gear should be very well oiled. I took off the valve chamber drain pipe, and I see fresh oil in it, so I assumed my pump is working well. I've just been letting the engine idle for the past few weeks, not taking it on the road, so I wonder if the 'tilt' of the engine to the rear is keeping oil from spreading far enough forward....

Any ideas?

Thanks

[Brentwood Bob]

Oil pump restricted? Screen plugged, accumulation in pan, the overflow from the valve gallery provides oil to cascade onto the timing gear.
Also, if the gear shattered, and little pieces got dispersed the oil pump screen is possibly clogged. I have seen a roadside timing gear replacement fail for a second time after 200 additional miles. And that was with an oil change donated to an ungrateful motorist.
Those shards go through the pump and clog up stuff.

[Chuck Sea/Tac]

Time to pull your pan and check that oil screen. Although, I wonder how you been running it with a strict timing year :-). It would not be a bad idea to pull the pan though

[Joe K]

Oil from the timing gear area comes from two sources: the crankshaft gear (thrown oil dribbling down and over the crankshaftgear and carried up onto the fiber gear) and a port cast in the engine block between the valve chamber and the timing covers area.

Some engine blocks have a "dam" at the front of the valve chamber. Apparently Ford experimented with the height of the oil pipe connection and the height of this dam in attempting to "even out" oil coverage in the valve chamber.

More likely your fiber gear has had the oil "squeegee'd" off by the action of the crankshaft gear. This is normal, happens with all gears, and given the fiberous content and surface appearance of the gear might give an erroneous impression?

You have a choice of chopped fiber gears, "slaked" fiber gears, aluminum gears and bronze gears for replacement.

I would go with slaked, although most who use aluminum and bronze "will never go back." The pricing, and gear longevity is increasing from left to right.

Joe K

[Chuck Dempsey]

OK, thanks all. I've got a new aluminum gear ready to put on as soon as I can get the old gear off. Sounds like I need to pull the pan and take a look at the pump, just to be sure. The car was sitting in the driveway, running fine until I heard a 'crack' sound and the engine died, with an unusual sound. I think the odd sound was the spinning of three compression-less cylinders, as only cylinder 1 has both valves seated now.

[Kurt in NJ]

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The fiber gear will wear the crankshaft gear different than the aluminum gear,a worn crankshaft gear can chew a fiber gear and could have caused your gear failure
For best results replace both gears as set

[Railcarmover]

Before installing any gear pull the oil pan and inspect the oil pump screen drive gears and lower plate.Ford used a fiber gear for quiet operation.Metal gears are noisy especially at idle insure your cam spring and plunger is in spec.

[Bob Bidonde]

You can check the oil pump's flow by running the engine with the plug in the side of the block removed. This plug is where a bolt is used to hold up the oil pump during the pump's installation.

[Jim Brierley]

There is so much oil flying around in there it will amaze you! I would go with your aluminum, I have used them for years and found them quiet.

[Purdy Swoft]

I agree with Jim B !!! I use either aluminum or bronze cam gears , both have ran quietly for me . The most important thing to me is that the metal gears will probably last a lifetime . Replacing timing gears is a pain .

[Jim Brierley]

Years ago I installed a cast aluminum gear that had a casting flaw in the middle of one tooth, I ran that gear for years in my wide-bed, probably 40,000 miles, it never was a problem or noisy. I later used that gear in my speedster engine, still going strong!

[Chuck Dempsey]

Thanks all. I've got the new aluminum gear ready to install. Just have to get that $*#@(!& nut off first........

[Purdy Swoft]

I think that one of the main causes of early cam gear failure is using a rag between the timing gears when installing . Using a rag will stop the gears from turning when tightening the nut but puts the strain on the teeth of the gears . I remove the side timing cover and use a C clamp to lock the cam gear against the side of the engine when tightening the cam gear . This is most important when using fiber gears . It is also not recommended to use a rag between metal gears because of the strain it can put on the teeth . Over the years I have had several fiber or laminated cam gears to strip early until I figured out what was causing the timing gears to strip .

[Brentwood Bob]

Good advice, thanks. I would probably not get that figured out.
A shattered gear sure makes a mess of things.

[Joe K]

Originally Posted by Chuck Dempsey

Thanks all. I've got the new aluminum gear ready to install. Just have to get that $*#@(!& nut off first........

A tool is sold for exactly that purpose.


Although, as evidenced, someone has been there before you.

Perhaps you could follow the same methodology, but put your punch where he put his? That way you could at least claim not increasing the damage.

"Plausible deniability."

Joe K

[Purdy Swoft]

I use the hex nut that is now offered for installing the cam gear . I bought one of the tools pictured above but it didn't work so well for me . I went ahead and removed the old nut with a chisel . I then install the new metal cam gear with the hex nut that that is now available .

[Chuck Dempsey]

I took Archimedes advice and got a two foot steel pipe from Lowes, slipped it over the socket wrench, secured the gear from turning, and slowly pulled on the special tool shown above.....and it worked! Just borrowed a gear puller from O'Reilly's Auto Parts, so that is next. Thank all!

[Jim Brierley]

I use a tool similar to JoeK's but made it myself in the 60's, and use an impact wrench on it, with the cam in a vice. You could probably do it in the car using a pair of vice grips on the gear against the block to hold it from turning. The nut must be tight!