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Old 12-18-2018, 12:26 PM   #1
Cape Codder
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Default What Type of Timing Gear

I see there are aluminum timing gears offered by the vendors.
1. Is / was there ever a brass one offered?
2. Does changing to a metal timing gear make more noise than the fiber gear?
3. If an aluminum gear is used how does it fair to meshing with a steel gear as to wear?
4. Lastly, the instructions provided by the vendor description is to have at least .003" lash but no more than .005". What do I do if I can't get those measurements?

Thanks for any and all opinions.
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Old 12-18-2018, 02:29 PM   #2
Kurt in NJ
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Default Re: What Type of Timing Gear

I have seen brass offered for sale
I have aluminum gear for 40 years, still can't hear any noise from it, and the engine is quiet enough that the points can be heard

The crankshaft gear wears different with fiber gear, you can't replace just the cam gear with aluminum and expect quiet

There are some oversized gears, it's possible that the main bearings are not centered properly, this could mean new Babbitt--- if inserted another block or going back to Babbitt
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Old 12-18-2018, 02:37 PM   #3
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Default Re: What Type of Timing Gear

I bought a 4 dr sedan at Hershey sveral years ago. It had a relative new motor in it. after about 2000 miles I got a noise coming from the timing gear. When I pulled it, it was a fiber gear with and aluminum hub inserted. Hub was loose from the gear. repalace with a fiber gear.
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Old 12-18-2018, 04:11 PM   #4
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Default Re: What Type of Timing Gear

I'm pretty sure there are no brass gears offered by any vendor - ever. Bronze, now that's a diferent thing. I wouldn't go anywhere near a gear made of brass but I consider bronze to be the ultimate followed by aluminium, then fibre if longevity is the criteria. Fibre goes up in the rankings if silence is important.
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Old 12-18-2018, 04:28 PM   #5
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Default Re: What Type of Timing Gear

We have always used a fiber gear. There mostlikely is a very good reason the car came from the factory that way. The fiber gear is quiet and if something bad were to happen, the fiber gear will fail faster with no metal in the oil pan.
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Old 12-18-2018, 04:30 PM   #6
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Default Re: What Type of Timing Gear

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When I received my engine from the rebuilder (I did the assembly), the fiber gear had zero backlash at one position and way too much backlash 180* from there. The center must have been miss-machined. I replaced it with an aluminum gear. It was noisy for a while, but it didn't take long to wear in with the crank gear and become unnoticeable.
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Old 12-18-2018, 05:03 PM   #7
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Default Re: What Type of Timing Gear

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kurt in NJ View Post
There are some oversized gears, it's possible that the main bearings are not centered properly, this could mean new Babbitt--- if inserted another block or going back to Babbitt
It is a simple matter to sleeve the main line back to standard.
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Old 12-18-2018, 05:37 PM   #8
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Default Re: What Type of Timing Gear

My brass one makes noise.
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Old 12-19-2018, 07:03 PM   #9
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Default Re: What Type of Timing Gear

I have a bronze timing gear and it makes no noise that I can determine. I also bought the matching steel crank gear at the same time.
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Old 12-20-2018, 01:49 PM   #10
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Default Re: What Type of Timing Gear

I have run cast aluminum gears with no problems or noise. Bronze are stronger but more expensive and can be noisy. I do run bronze in my race engines, for the strength. I also use steel crank gears, stock replacements are cast iron. Billet aluminum is stronger than cast, weaker than bronze. The best gears are made by Dan McGeachern [email protected]
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Old 12-20-2018, 02:26 PM   #11
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Default Re: What Type of Timing Gear

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The best gears are made by Dan McGeachern [email protected]

Jim is correct on this. There is a slight typo on Dan's name. (McEachern)
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Old 12-20-2018, 06:25 PM   #12
1931 flamingo
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Default Re: What Type of Timing Gear

What's going on?? 1st it was the head gasket, then the valves, now the timing gear.
Just curious.................
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Old 12-21-2018, 12:42 PM   #13
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Default Re: What Type of Timing Gear

When you stress old parts they tend to have problems.
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Old 12-22-2018, 10:33 AM   #14
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Default Re: What Type of Timing Gear

Old parts or old farts?
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