Thanks,

Yes.. it's almost 6am and I am still up. I purchased a new book on ebay, the one you guys told me to buy named 'how to rebuild your small block ford'.

I am going to get 4 or 5 hours sleep and start on the engine.

Signed,

First, with the cam gear, there should be a pin that slots into a hole on the front of the cam. That pin engages with a hole in the timing gear and the fuel pump eccentric (if you are still running a mechanical pump). A side note to this, if you are currently using a 2-piece pump eccentric you must switch over to a 1-piece eccentric (Ford part #C3AZ-6287-B). This pin is what keeps the cam gear and eccentric from spinning freely on the end of the cam, so make sure it's long enough to engage both the timing gear AND the eccentric when pushed all the way back into the cam (ask me how I know to check that one ). Make sure you use some Loctite red on the cam bolt when you put it back on so that it doesn't back off eventually. The washer for the cam bolt should cover the pin so that it can't slip out the front of the timing gear. Torque it to spec.

There should be a mark or dot on the outer edge of the cam gear. Once the gear and eccentric are on and bolted into place use the bolt to rotate the cam around so this point is in the 6 o'clock position.

For the crank gear, spin the crank using a socket and long ratchet so that the mark on the crank gear is pointed straight up at 12 o'clock. You can even do this with the harmonic balancer off by just threading the nut that holds the balancer on into the crank, and using it to turn the crank (this can be made easier if you take the spark plugs out so there is no compression in the cylinders). Take the old crank gear off and slip the new one in place. They key on the crank should ensure that the gear is installed correctly.

Now you should have both cam and crank gears in place with the marks on each gear pointing at each other (6 o'clock on the cam gear and 12 o'clock on the crank gear). It should now simply be a case of slipping in the idler gears to finish up, and reinstalling everything.

For putting the harmonic balancer on it's easiest to snug it on as far as you can with your hands (lining it up with the key on the crank, of course) and then put in the bolt and cinch the balancer on the rest of the way with that. Make sure you have a good torque wrench and torque the balancer bolt to spec!

I hope that this helps a bit. Feel free to shoot me an email if you have any questions, ok.

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Cheers,
Ian
M&M Member #395
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'79 Mustang Indy 500 Pace Car
Ian's Pace Car Website
Vancouver Island Mustang Association Website
Indy Pace Car Registry of Mustangs Official Website

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Originally posted by Glenn_M:
Great info!

I guess I need to buy a new pin. Where can I get one?

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Most machine shops or auto parts suppliers should be able to help you out there. Do you have your old pin still? I found that the easiest way to ensure I got on the right length was to measure the total depth using a thick piece of wire, or thin metal rod (whatever you have around). That way you will be sure to get the correct length first time.

When I did my rebuild a couple of years ago I didn't measure the depth and just used the pin sent with the new cam. Turns out it was too short and eventually disengaged from the eccentric, allowing it to spin and loosen the cam bolt (not to mention, not work the fuel pump). That one sure caused me some headaches to track down. So, I thought that I would pass that on so you don't suffer from the same mistake!

Good luck!

Cheers,
Ian

Anyway, the pin is welded on the fuel pump eccentric, lol. There was no separate pin. My mistake guys...

I'll let you know when I get the gears installed.

Cam gear and fuel pump eccentric

Hole in the camshaft where the eccentric pin goes

Cam gear and fuel pump eccentric in place

What I have to do is put on the new cam gear and put the fuel pump eccentric through it, put on the new crank gear, set the engine to TDC, put in the idler gears, and make sure the timing cover has proper clearance.

PS. I bought the 'how to rebuild your small block ford' book but I won't have it for a week. Can someone please do me a favor and look up the correct torque I have to put on the cam and crank bolts, and the timing cover bolts? I would really appreciate it. I want to torque the bolts down properly.

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Originally posted by Glenn_M:
By the way, what is the easiest way to get the crankshaft gear off? Do I need a puller, or can I work it off with a screwdriver or something?

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What's StangNet ???