First off, I don’t have much experience with Fords in general, so I’m ***uming this is a common issue, but surprisingly I didn’t find anything doing a search. Rebuilding a’62 260 here. When I ordered this timing chain I asked the tech guy if they had a roller timing chain that I could use with the otherwise stock parts ( timing chain cover, thrust plate, cam eccentric, ect) as this is a low performance engine rebuild. The new timing chain gears are wider than the old, so worried about contact with timing cover. Also it looks like the cam eccentric will be out farther out with this gear. Am I not seeing something correctly? New gear on right and bottom in pics. BTW,I have no idea what the old timing set is, the engine was rebuilt by someone else around 1980. Thanks for any help.
On the cam gear, it looks like you have one right side up and one cam side up. I'll bet the fuel pump eccentric will end up in the same place if you look at the other side of the gear.
Hmmm. So if I flipped that gear over, is it supposed to take the place of this spacer that was used on the old setup? If so the thrust plate would be WAY too thin.
Camshaft end play is at about.043-.044” like that, and with pictured spacer eliminated. Flipped over (the way I pictured originally) it is at .004-.005.
Double roller wider then single link chain, according to spec fits 62-84 none roller cam, timing dot on cam/ & crank gears should face the timing cover/you when installed . Im sure this step side of cam gear rides against the cam. the step is there to move chain from touching the block , Some one will chime in . I'm not a Ford guy but I've worked on a few
It DOES make more sense to put it together that way, and eliminate that c shaped spacer. I guess I would then need a lot thicker thrust washer to bring cam end play down to .001- .007”. Thanks for the info so far.
The new gear with built-in spacer is used without the separate spacer that your old setup has. BUT usually to get the end play correct a later thrust plate is used. Your old one is about .215" thick? The later replacement is .251" thick. One for a 302 works fine (say 1970 vintage)-and they are available and not expensive. It'll have an extra "ear" on it but that won't matter.
I am not a Ford guy but I can say that I have had to clearance a SBC block (not timing chain cover) ever so slightly to clear a double chain. I guess I am suggesting some slight clearance issues can possibly be expected. That being said, I wouldn't rush to install your until I was positive it is correct for your application/year.
Yeah, luckily I’m just going over and inspecting things as read out of Tom Monroe’s SBF book. Nowhere near final ***embly. Just don’t want to get into aftermarket parts if not needed. A thrust washer- no big deal. Timing cover-ugh
Cleaned everything up, ***embled ,but this time torqued down eccentric. Showing.038” clearance with old thrust plate. I show the new ones being .250, so going with that figure I should have .004” cam end play with that thicker washer you mentioned. I show spec is .001-.007” Great! Thanks! Now if anyone knows about the clearance between the timing cover and these wider gears I’d appreciate opinions and experience. If I just have to remove minimal material with a file or die grinder I’ll go with this timing set.
Bolt timing cover on with afew bolts with out gasket , rotate engine over a few times , take a look to see if any contact on cover , if so clearance as needed .
You will likely have clearance. I just did a '65 289 with the stuff you are using and have at least .100" between cover and fuel pump eccentric. Look in the pump mounting hole and you can see the clearance easily.
I just went through this process on a 69 302. I had a new Mellings chain set, but they don't tell you the one size fits all chain set requires the use of the later two piece fuel pump eccentric. The upper gear has a thicker boss on the front to work with the narrower two piece eccentric - I subsequently found this out on some retailer's ads, not not all. Great, thanks. I had a two piece laying around but was pissed off and bought a locally made Rollmaster chain set that did suit the earlier engines and all is good. Should have bought the better chain in the first place. Melling:
Yes, but…. Engine is not ready for ***embly yet, and at that point I don’t think I could return what I have to exchange for a 100% stock set. I specifically asked the tech this question so as not to run into this situation.
Worst case scenario is that you have to “tickle” the inside of the timing cover with a flapper wheel or something like that if you have to. To put a gear drive in you have to cut the inside ledge/oil slinger in the middle of the cover for clearance so I don’t see why you can’t just take a few thousandths off where the eccentric goes. But then I always use the 5.0 timing covers
Many , Many gear sets sold for your Application ,, Does instructions point out maybe Contact and clearance required?? ""No "" your checking for clearance on the timing cover ""without gasket"" If No signs of contact gear / chain to cover , when ready install gasket. ""If "" timing cover shows contact marke's , Clearance the cover , Not chain or gear ,,, Sneak up on the clearance ing removal, Im sure if you are able to set cover on block with gear /chain installed & No gasket ,,No gap or rocking of cover to block , .005 to 0 contact, More likely & good quality gasket is probably .030 or thicker
The different thickness of thrust plate is the only problem I have encountered. A lot of listings show one set forever and that's not correct. I have worked on 64 and newer and not had difficulties but I can't verify that the 62 is exactly the same. As another option, if you have clay as used for piston to valve checking, you could place that in between the cover and gear and measure.
No problem with the '65 cover I installed. Mine has an oil slinger in front of the crank gear and it fit fine as well.
Double check the clearance of the camshaft gear to retaining plate. I opened up a new build, and the gear was cutting into the retainer plate. Enough drag that the roller chain stretched! I trimmed off the portion of the plate that was contacting the gear. Replaced the timing set.
I had this problem just about 25 years ago when I was a kid working on an OT 289. Ford changed the timing cover around March 15, 1965, and they changed the timing gear profiles at the same time. Long story short, my engine was built March 10th, and I bought the newer chain setup. When I fired it up, it sounded like there were rocks in the rotating ***embly; sure enough, the eccentric was rubbing the timing cover. You may be able to get away with clearancing the one you have, but you may want to consider a later timing cover. I'm currently running a double roller on the same engine with the later timing cover, and it's fine.
I’m using the stock 64 timing cover in my Fairlane with a Comp Cam double roller set with no interference problem whatsoever. I’m also not using the fuel pump eccentric. I can’t say I’ve ever had problems with timing sets fitting, maybe I was just lucky….
There are two thicknesses, it is explained in the Tom Monroe book. The thick one, I believe, is for the early engines and all 289 high performance engines.
I just ordered the factory stock one today. The one I pictured will have to go up on the shelf for another project. I called Summit and they refunded my money saying it “should” fit as is. I explained the thrust washer difference for starters. They didn’t even want it returned. No biggie, just one of those bumps in the road you hit working on an old engine.
I ran into this same issue when ***embling my '77 351 Windsor. Lots of conflicting information out there. I initially ordered an Edelbrock 7811 and learned that it was jammed against the timing cover so changed it out for their 7820, which fit. The Tom Monroe book wasn't clear on which one fits, but putting the wrong one in locks up the drivetrain immediately so now I know.
Exactly. Monroe’s book, which I have right on my benchtop, covers mostly the factory sets, mentions the aftermarket ones, but not much else, kinda vague. Not being familiar with Fords I figured I’d ask you guys. Thanks everyone for the input.
Yay! New stock chain and gears came today. End play is a tight .006”. No drama or worries. This car will be lucky to see a few hundred miles a year, so no regrets not using the roller type. Thanks for all the input everyone.
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