Engine Noise ???

[Trelpdx]

Guys,

I have done a complete rebuild on my 1935 21 stud flathead. The machinist I was using suggested that I go with an aluminum cam gear instead of the stock fiber gear. Now that I have started the engine a couple times, I notice a very distictive noise coming from the engine. My Dad is telling me he thinks it's the aluminum gear.

Have you guys had problems with aluminum cam gears making noise and if so, what can I do about it? The aluminum gears bolt onto the cam. If I try to go back to a fiber gear, do they make a bolt on one so that I don't have to remove the cam?

Thanks for any help, I'm kind of freeking out about this issue. I really don't want to tear down the engine.

Peder

[Walt Dupont--Me.]

I use aluminum cam gear on all my bolt on cams. I've never noticed any noise from the gears. I always use a new crank gear also. Did you use a new crank gear? If not that's probably giveing to much backlash in the gears. Walt

[Russ/40]

Yes, there is a fiber bolt on gear available

[ford1]

aluminum cam gears some times will be noisey, especially if you didnt use a new crank gear, it will quieten down some as the gear mate, but you will always hear some noise

[Trelpdx]

Walt,

I did put on a new crank gear. Is it possible that the cam gear is not getting enough oil? I installed a new helical gear oil pump. On the new pump, it has a pressure relief right on the pump. On my block, there is also a pressure relief up at the front of the block. So I have two pressure relief valves. Is that okay?

Thank you,

Peder

[Walt Dupont--Me.]

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Yea, the 2 pressure valve are all right, I usually put a couple of small flat washers on top of the spring in the valve on top. Put some grease in the cap and then put the washers in, the grease keep the washers from falling out when you put the cap on. BUT, if you have it all running and you didn't put washers in, don't worry about if you have decent oil pressure. Walt

[Trelpdx]

Thanks Walt

I think I'll take the aluminum cam gear off and go with a new fiber gear.

Peder

[Karl Wolf]

The reason that many like to go with the aluminum gear is that the teeth don't break off- which can happen with the fiber gear... I have never heard any noise from my engine, or its predecesor... They both had aluminum... And used crank gears...

As to oil pressure, what the engine will hold is indicitive of the bearing clearances...
It's MY belief that a tight engine can live a very long life with 30 lb.- NOT that a flathead with that as a running pressure would last... So- the three 59ABs in my care have both reliefs, no attempt to stretch or shim springs... These make the oil pump work harder, without benifit... (All, IMO)
Karl

[Kurt in NJ]

What is the backlash on the gear---you need to check it several places, I have had some problems with having crankshafts ground off center ---this would make the gear mesh too tight for part of a revolution, and too loose for the other 1/2 of a revolution ---this would make a noise that changes

another possibility is that when it was line bored (babbitt engine??)the centerline of the crank is too close to the cam ---era line bore sets had fixtures to set the position

Using a new cam gear on an old crank gear can cause noise ----it is surprising how much a fibre gear can wear a steel gear

it is also possible to have an oversize gear and need a standard size gear ---they are usually marked with the oversize

i havn't had noise from the alum gears that I have used