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Posted By Discussion Topic: Timing Gear Replacement -- page: 1 2 3     39Fordfan 10-05-2021 @ 6:22 PM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 191 Joined: Oct 2009 The timing gear on my '39 Deluxe shredded itself the other day while I was at highway speed. It looks like it's the pressed on type, not bolted on. It seems I'm in for a big job ahead of me. Unless you have a way around pulling the engine and tearing it down to press a new timing gear on? I'm thinking I'll pull the engine myself and figure out what machine shop I'm going to. I doubt I would rebuild it myself, but maybe it would make sense? I've never traveled down this road before, this was my Dad's car. I'm pretty sure Henry's guys were the last ones to ever touch this part of the engine. I'm wondering if you can give me some tips about; A) Pulling the engine. B) Questions to ask an engine rebuilder. C) Can you even find the parts needed during this pandemic? Can you get a better timing gear than this fiber type? D) The engine smoked a small amount on acceleration, and yet it pulled really strong. I'm not sure it needs a full overhaul? But it seems if I'm going to go to all this trouble it would be the wise thing to do. E) Any idea what it costs to rebuild a flathead these days? Or recommend a good flathead shop in the Midwest? Thanks! I really appreciate it. This message was edited by 39Fordfan on 10-5-21 @ 6:31 PM alanwoodieman 10-05-2021 @ 7:24 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 868 Joined: Oct 2009 I have been told there is a way to replace the gear, but as far as I know, the only press on available is the fiber gear. As an experiment I tried to remove the pressed on fiber gear, a lot of work but doable. later engines used bolt on fiber gears that were replaced with bolt on aluminum. to replace the cam does require a lot of work-pull heads/intake/valves--to do this it is easier to pull engine. I might be tempted to remove and replace the pressed on gear with a new one without removing the above mentioned parts 39Fordfan 10-06-2021 @ 7:05 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 191 Joined: Oct 2009 Thank-you so much for your response, Alanwoodieman! I was of the understanding I had on my '39 it was a 50/50 chance that I might have a gear that is bolted on. I guess the transition away from the pressed on timing gears was already occurring in '39. Have you heard much about the aluminum gear? Would it be an improvement? Or just go ahead and get the fiber gear and cross my fingers it goes long after I do? You succeeded getting the timing gear off with the motor in the car? Were you able to press another one too with the motor in the car? Thanks! This message was edited by 39Fordfan on 10-6-21 @ 7:06 AM 37RAGTOPMAN 10-06-2021 @ 7:12 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1958 Joined: Oct 2009 HI I had to do this on a 36 , customers car, I removed the grill, intake and valves. timing cover, pulled the old cam out and pressed the new gear on I would look for a new cam, with the bolt on gear. replace the cam and gear, try SOUTHSIDE OBSOLETE in Minn, talk to FRED, he might have what you need, 1 507 332 6789 my 2 cents 37Ragtopman TomO 10-06-2021 @ 9:55 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7250 Joined: Oct 2009 I would pull the engine to replace the timing gear. The gears at the back of the camshaft operate the oil pump and you could have a problem getting them to mesh. I would not install a new camshaft in the old bearings, it could cause oil pressure problems due to bearing clearance. Any competent automotive machine shop can press on a new gear for you. Your photo shows the press on gear. If you are going to rebuild the engine, then I would get a camshaft with the bolt on gear. You need to provide your city and state in your request for an engine rebuilder. The 39 engine may have the thin steel sleeves and it is usually a good idea to replace the sleeves. Machine shops that are not familiar with the flathead V-8 have problems working on the engines with the steel sleeves. Most of the engines that had the sleeves had HS stamped on the machined surface where the intake is mounted. Look at the front of the engine first as that is the most likely place for the stamp. Tom 39Fordfan 10-06-2021 @ 10:47 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 191 Joined: Oct 2009 Hey 37RAGTOPMAN, Thanks! That's all good stuff. Yes, I am familiar with Fred at Southside Obsolete - definitely from this forum, it could've even been you who steered me to him a few years ago. I will give him a call and see what he has. I appreciate it! 39Fordfan 10-06-2021 @ 11:18 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 191 Joined: Oct 2009 Hi TOMO, Thanks for your response! I'm in Minnesota too. I'm about an hour west of the Twin Cities near Winsted. I figured I'd ask around with the Twin Cities EFV-8 Club about local machine shops familiar with flatheads. Living outside of the Cities and the pandemic has kind of cut me off from the group whose membership mainly lives on the east side of the Cities which puts me almost 2 hrs from them. However I am open to traveling a bit to bring the engine to a quality machine shop with good value and experience on flatheads. Are you saying after pulling the engine out of the car, it's possible to just the press on the timing gear and not have to tear down the engine to get that done? Or pull it apart as far as necessary to get a new timing gear pressed on and put the engine back in the car? Regarding the steel sleeves, are these cylinder sleeves you are talking about? I'll go and look for the stampings you suggested. I had the heads off this Spring for a head gasket job and I didn't think I noticed if the bores had sleeves. But I'm definitely going to look for what you mentioned. If I rebuild, the Cam with a bolt on gear sounds like a must. The rest I'm really rather unsure of at this point because the engine still seemed strong except for a bit of smoke at times. Right now, I'm thinking of replacing or machining everything that looks worn or is a no-brainer, but re-using as much of whatever makes sense. It's a Fordor and probably doesn't need major performance upgrades. carcrazy 10-06-2021 @ 12:05 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1653 Joined: Oct 2009 Your best course of action may be to find a competent Ford Flathead V-8 mechanic and pay him to make a house call to install a new fiber gear on your camshaft while it is still in the engine and the engine is still in the car. This is certainly the easiest way to go provided you can find a capable mechanic and the correct timing gear. 37RAGTOPMAN 10-06-2021 @ 12:56 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1958 Joined: Oct 2009 I also would inspect the CRANKSHAFT GEAR, this is most likely what made the CAM GEAR GO BAD, probably has rust pits in it,or rough surface on the teeth on the gear, the engine I replaced the cam shaft, was rebuilt , had no roblem lining up the oil pump drive gears, my 2 cents 37Ragtopman 39Fordfan 10-06-2021 @ 1:47 PM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 191 Joined: Oct 2009 Hi carcrazy, Thanks for your response. I would love to do what you are saying. Unfortunately my understanding is that it isn't really feasible (or possible) to put a press-on timing gear on the cam shaft while it's in the car. Are you saying it can be done? Any draw backs to doing it that way? I am able to procure a press-on gear and I could find a competent flathead mechanic, just not sure what will work?

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