So, all the "failures" were related to the idler setup? Any one of the failures when using hubs, not dampers? Cloyes sounds pretty scared of running without a damper. http://www.cloyes.com/Images/Instruct/Gear Drive 8-5135 (SB Ford) Instructions.pdf
Dan gear drives have a tendency to transfer harmonics from the crank to the cam shaft more then say a chain or a belt. I have not run one without a harmonic damper. With any gear drive fixed idler or floating you are running the risk of way more than just gear drive failure when you are not running a damper.
Hmmmmmm... Maybe I will just lower the level a bunch on my power steering unit !! Seriously, I appreciate all of your comments...negative as well as positive.. I am a (71) year old Grandpa just tying to re live my childhood days that never included anything like I have now... I married at (19) and had kids right away, well one on the way at the wedding...so never got to do the fun stuff.. (NOT "Whining", just a small explanation) I checked on labor to put one in, and the ~$200 has me re thinking a bit and my back and legs won't let me do it myself.. Also my little beefed up 283 runs absolutely awesome, so dont' want to take any chances screwing that up. I do have a friend with a '55 Chevy with the Pete Jackson drive. I have ridden a lot with him, and do like it, as he does... Soooo...... You will have to wait for the next chapter on whether I do it or not.. Cheers, and thanks again.. Gotta love this forum. Oh, and Squirrel, we used to use balloons instead of playing cards.... LOL
LOL just out some Type F transmission fluid in the power steering. it will make it whine for ya. You were a late bloomer, I was married before I was out of high school and my first was on her way by my senior year. Cars in our driveway kept her in formula. Well most of those cars were not in the driveway very long. I knew a kid in Wyandot county in the '90s who had a Mustang II. His dad put a CB with a PA setting in the car and the horn for the PA behind the grill then ran the coax for the antenna near his alternator, no antenna just the coax. He would turn the PA on and when his engine revved up it would make a super charger like whine come out of the PA system.
I have a (two gear) gear drive in my Stude engine. Problem here is, a chain drive was never made for the Stude (like a few others) engine... From the factory, they had either fiber cam gears or aluminum cam gears with steel crank gears. The aluminum were noisier, but just still barley noticeable. I had a custom (timing) adjustable drive made up for the Stude engine. I've yet to see how much noise it makes. Still in the building stages. Sorry had to admit to a usable gear drive... Mike
I'm finally figuring this hot rod stuff out.A whine coming from a M22 Muncie is way cool but a whine from gear drive is not cool. OK I get it now.
I know you don't want comments about the noise but it get's old real fast. About 15 years ago you couldn't walk down the aisles of a car show without hearing the "whine". Now you can't give them away. If you drive your car long distances, I would really think twice about spending your money on something you will regret. If you are married you may want your wife to hear what they sound like also.
Joe I think that comes from the same place that using an SBC come from. The SBC started out as the s dominant hot rod motor of its day, then someone decided to put them in a box for the masses. The wannabes got hold of them and ruined the reputation. The gear drive was at one time the hot setup for going fast then everyone and their cousin started using them for the sound and not the performance edge that they offered, the wannabes strike again.
...even tho some of these replies sound negative, we are trying to be positive that it'll get old real quick,...got one in a car we purchased and hate it everytime we start it up. ...good pipes are the noise you really wanna hear.
I just smile when I read these things, I like to hear people talk about ,30-30 cams and Double hump heads .
I had one on a 350 in my 53 pick up, I loved the sound and it never bothered me. The only problem with it was trying to sneak home at 2 without the wife hearing me. Serious.
It's one thing to install a gear drive in a bonafide hot rod engine, but those noisy ones just sound so lame in a stock engine.
Yr Rod !!!! You can all ways take it out ! My self , 25 years ago ,I ran one for Four year's in a 69 Camaro street car , Busted a lot SB& BB Did a lot of Street Racing , I never raised the tall cowl hood , Ever one assumed I was running some sorts of forced induction ,
only gear drives I like to hear are the ones in a Cat or Cummins , but then again they make the motor sound like its commin apart they rattle so much from the backlash and dampner on the gear .. ( they do not whine ) had a milodon gear drive on a poncho ( fixed idler) made some noise but it sounded like my trans was loosing its pump .
I ran one with the twin idlers on a "dog bone" that sat between the cam and crank gears like this: It came out during a refresh just before it caused major damage. The oversized snap rings that held the idlers to the dog bone had failed and it was fixing to grenade. I'll stick with a high quality, true dual roller chain thanks.
Had a B & M gear drive on a small block 400 in the early 90's. With the aluminum timing cover it was LOUD !!! My neighbor kept telling me to get a new power steering pump................................ Jeff
I wonder how many have had a Whiney gear driven V8 buckled up to a M22 with a quick change out back? Could one transmit the noise from all 3 into a musical experience? If so would it be heavy metal? Hmmmm..... Flux
I ran one in my Model A coupe. I used a Pete Jackson. It was high quality and provided great service in my drag raced 350. I would have no issues or hesitations with using another. I say go for it! Question answered.
On racing engines I ALWAYS run a gear drive and have never experienced any problems. However I don't run the cheap dual idler units. The one on my SBC, a fixed idler unit from KB racin with a cover machined for mounting the fuel pump cost almost $1,200. Zoomies talking to you sort of interferes with hearing anything else. Tip of the day.........IF YOU DON'T LIKE GEAR DRIVES, DON'T BUY THEM.
The noise is tolerable...but will you hear another mechanical failure over the whine? Voice of experience.
Thanks.....for then guidance. I recently installed a gear drive, but, not knowing all the particulars of my engine I was actually skeptical about firing it. So, after a post I actually went back to timing chain. And after reading what people have experienced the gear drive will probably go up on craigslist.
UPDATE: Well plenty of time has gone by, and........... Yep I still enjoy it.. I do not do many cruises, so it is not for attention.. I just like it. Wife does not.. but rides very little with me in it. Put a hotter cam in it a month ago and it looks just fine. Guess I am just odd, or as I said in my first post, just an old Grandpa that loves the old school days. I did put some very expensive insulation in the firewall area which cuts down a lot of the noise inside..