Pros and Cons of using timing gears vs chain

[cobrarkc]

What are some of the pros and cons of using a timing gear setup vs using a good chain setup? Does it make a difference?

[Doug I]

gears are noisy and a little more mechanically complicated

[Ron61]

Chains can stretch, but I prefer them to gears. We ran a gear drive in a couple of cars and the noise was not only terrible, one of the gears had a habit of breaking a tooth. This was years ago, so I am sure they are much better now but I would still go with the chain.

Ron

[Tom Kirkham]

Another option:

http://www.alwaysopenmall.com/layout...=&ItemID=37745

[PatBuckley]

Gears allow timing stability at higher rpm but unless you spend pretty big bucks for one you are buying trouble in the form of gears that come apart.

Some people, usually high school guys, really like the added noise that gears offer.

[xlr8or]

=PatBuckley;886578
Some people, usually high school guys, really like the added noise that gears offer.

trying to make it sound like there is a blower under the hood.

[cobrarkc]

Originally Posted by Tom Kirkham

Another option:

http://www.alwaysopenmall.com/layout...=&ItemID=37745

Tom
Thanks for the alternative but won't a belt stretch also?
A little pricey also.

[Cobrabill]

For a street-driven car,gear drive is quite point-less.Unless you want the affore mentioned"Polish blower" sound.A Cloyes chain & gears will more than suffice.

[Doug I]

Chain or belt drive is, I think, a pretty well proven method for DD's.

If you're spinning high rpm's then you're in territory where you're no longer in a DD and you're not worried about the extra cost - just as you're not worried about the cost of the time it all comes apart.

[pop66ltd]

i know a fellow drag racer and engine builder that uses the old fiber gear set,claims less engine damage will result from an explosion and claims if you change it every year you wont have a problem with it,is it true?don't know,but i personally wouldn't use one.maybe someone else has heard of this also.

[Cobrabill]

Originally Posted by pop66ltd

i know a fellow drag racer and engine builder that uses the old fiber gear set,claims less engine damage will result from an explosion and claims if you change it every year you wont have a problem with it,is it true?don't know,but i personally wouldn't use one.maybe someone else has heard of this also.

If this happens,the rest of the parts are about 1000ft behind you on the ground.Why would you want to change chain & gears every year?

[trularin]

There is a nice book out that is basically Smokey's guide to building an engine and he asks a question along the lines of, "What in the world are you messin around with chains when you can have gears?" He goes on to tell you ignition timing is one of the most important things and with gears it is on all the time.

I have a gear set and plan to install it with a new CAM this spring...maybe.

[Tim Brewer]

I have timing gears on my engine and they work flawless. You can buy gears in both noisey and quiet. Even the noisey gears quiet down after a while, and no, they aren't for high school kids. You'll find many high-end race engines with timing gears, it's a step up from chains, but most engines do have timing chains.

[pop66ltd]

i have to agree with trularin,the gears give exact timing all the time unlike the chain

[Slick61]

I've got the Pete Jackson timing gear set on my aluminum 427W. Yes, the gears DO make noise, though it's hard to really hear it over the pipes... especially if you've got a nasty cam like I do. I was concerned about the gear drive as well, and when I looked into it, it seems to be used more for racing-type high rpm applications. But seeing as I only put a coupla thousand miles a year on the car, it's probably no big deal. My only concern is translating vibration to the valvetrain & possibly causing bearing damage. Dunno...

[pop66ltd]

i installed one for a customers build but you couldnt realy hear it on the dyno,you may have if the exhaust was quite.

[D-CEL]

The most important issue is that the gear-drive in affect, physically ties the crankshaft to the camshaft. This transmits (in some cases amplifies) the crank harmonics into the valve train.
Remember, the lower cam gear is in-board of the damper, so every “pop and bang” goes right into the cam. This uncontrolled valve train motion results in inaccurate cylinder to cylinder timing, accelerated wear, part fatigue.


D-cel

[mjmacqua]

I am on my second rebuild due to issues I had with the first. One issue was the gear drive broke and was eating into my block.

[CHANMADD]

All of the major Auto manufacturers have gone back to oil bathed timing chains. Why?????? They are just the best way to go. A belt, if you are at the track adjusting things as you go. Chains are reliable!