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Old 08-20-2020, 12:01 PM   #1
KCTA Chris
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Default Best repo ring and pinion?

I have a broken gear and have decided to upgrade to the 3:54 gear set. Reading a Tom Endy article (Thank you Tom, for putting the knowledge out there!) he say’s most new gear sets being excellent quality but has encountered a tolerance issue of a few newer reproduction gear sets.

I’ve been burned on my last two parts purchases for defects and want to find who has the best set going. Anyone know who carries the "better" parts?

Thanks!
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Old 08-20-2020, 01:37 PM   #2
BRENT in 10-uh-C
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Default Re: Best repo ring and pinion?

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Originally Posted by KCTA Chris View Post
I have a broken gear and have decided to upgrade to the 3:54 gear set. Reading a Tom Endy article (Thank you Tom, for putting the knowledge out there!) he say’s most new gear sets being excellent quality but has encountered a tolerance issue of a few newer reproduction gear sets.

I’ve been burned on my last two parts purchases for defects and want to find who has the best set going. Anyone know who carries the "better" parts?

Thanks!
I have not seen that as an issue for several years now, and we install half a dozen of them a year.
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Old 08-20-2020, 02:19 PM   #3
Terry, NJ
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Default Re: Best repo ring and pinion?

I just put one together and it's been hectic! First off, They are NOT Mark gears as they once were. They are some Italian gear company that sells thru the Motive Power company. In fairness, I can't find a thing wrong with them. But are Italian steels up to the job? I don't know! I received the R and P in a box marked "Motive Power Co", a US company.I went online to see just who and what they were and they make gear sets for just about everything, even some Russian stuff. But inexplicitly, Not Model A. When I wrote about this, One of the vendors (Happened to be the one I bought it from) chimed in with a dissertation about prices and availability. So where did Motive Power get the gears to repackage and ship to me? Italy! And the price? Curiously I found that most of the gear sets were priced less (About 60 to 80 % of the Vendor's price) It gets curiousurer ! I started looking at more vendors and found that they offer 4 sets, 3.78 3.54 3.27, and 4.11. Three of the four state they were made in the USA, and one avoid the issue entirely. 3.54 is one that avoided the issue. So what have I got? I will let you know! Errata! I used the name "Motive Power," The correct name seems to be "Motive Gears". I thew the box out and was working with my memory and it doesn't work so great any more.
Terry

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Old 08-20-2020, 02:43 PM   #4
john in illinois
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Default Re: Best repo ring and pinion?

I used Motive gears in my AV8 roadster and they are excellent. They make gears for Ferrari. I have also used them in 3 Model A rear ends that I reBuilt for club members.

John
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Old 08-20-2020, 06:00 PM   #5
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Default Re: Best repo ring and pinion?

Perfect! Will get it ordered. Thanks guys!
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Old 08-20-2020, 07:42 PM   #6
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I used Motive gears in my AV8 roadster and they are excellent. They make gears for Ferrari. I have also used them in 3 Model A rear ends that I reBuilt for club members.

John
I don't see Model A gear sets listed on Motive Gears website. Do you have a part # or link where to order them? It would be good to know for the future. Thanks.
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Old 08-20-2020, 07:49 PM   #7
Tim Ayers
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Default Re: Best repo ring and pinion?

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Originally Posted by john in illinois View Post
I used Motive gears in my AV8 roadster and they are excellent. They make gears for Ferrari. I have also used them in 3 Model A rear ends that I reBuilt for club members.

John
Seems to wrap this up in a bow. If good enough for a Ferrari, could enough for a Model A
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Old 08-21-2020, 09:15 AM   #8
BRENT in 10-uh-C
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Default Re: Best repo ring and pinion?

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I don't see Model A gear sets listed on Motive Gears website. Do you have a part # or link where to order them? It would be good to know for the future. Thanks.
They are manufactured under an exclusivity contract. You must purchase them from a Model-A vendor.
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Old 08-21-2020, 10:05 AM   #9
KCTA Chris
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Default Re: Best repo ring and pinion?

Brent, any vender you favor?
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Old 08-21-2020, 08:35 PM   #10
Terry, NJ
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Default Re: Best repo ring and pinion?

You guys are possibly making a $465 error! The gears they make for Ferrari are probably made in the USA. THEY DON"T MAKE GEARS FOR MOD. As! They buy them from some guy in Italy! I don't want to run their machinists down, but what of their steel? Italian? German? Swedish? British? maybe somewhere out of the EU. I once had to weld some Italian steel and it was junk. BTW , The vendor made no offer to refund or in any other way, make any kind of compensation. So if they're no good, Tough Luck!
Terry
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Old 08-21-2020, 09:12 PM   #11
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Default Re: Best repo ring and pinion?

The 3.78 and 3.54 gears are made in Italy. The 3.27 and 4.11 gears are made in USA. All currently made gears are of good quality.
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Old 08-22-2020, 02:23 PM   #12
Tom Endy
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Default Re: Best repo ring and pinion?

My observation of reproduction ring & pinion gear sets is that they appear to be of good quality, except for one thing. The sleeve of the pinion gear is not machined correctly as are the originals,

Ten or fifteen years ago I wrote the attached article for a newsletter. Walt Bratton called me when he saw the article and asked where I was getting the reproduction R&P's. I told him they came from either of two local suppliers here in Southern California. Walt told me that both he and Snyder's were aware of the machining requirement on the pinion gear sleeve and that their supplier machines them correctly. From then on I insisted that any reproduction R&P a customer wanted installed had to come from either of these two suppliers. And they were correct and I have installed any number of them. However, nothing lasts forever and their supplier went out of business and their new supplier does not machine the pinion gear sleeve correctly; one size fits all.

It is not difficult to correct the sleeve, it just adds more time to the project. I have recently installed several of the ones coming from Italy and I notice that they come gift wrapped in a nice box, however, the pinion gear sleeve is not machined correctly.

A friend who lives nearby has a lathe and I take the pinion gear and the tool I made over to his house and it is a five minute job to machine the sleeve. I can also machine it myself in a drill press, it just takes longer.

If the sleeve is not machined correctly the front bearing will not slide easily and you will have fits trying to set the pinion gear bearing pre-load.

Tom Endy
Attached Files
File Type: pdf Reproduction Blues.pdf (64.0 KB, 63 views)
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Old 08-24-2020, 03:10 PM   #13
KCTA Chris
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Default Re: Best repo ring and pinion?

Thanks Tom, and again thanks for your tech articles... tremendous help for understanding and tool making. I was able to locate an Italian set and have the lath ready just in case.
excited to get going on.
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Old 08-24-2020, 03:59 PM   #14
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Default Re: Best repo ring and pinion?

I bot a new 3.27 from Berts $625 delivered ..was going to Tom Endy but so far I have done nothing with it ..looks good
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