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B20 Timing Gear Question

gsellstr

gsellstr

Vintage anti-ricer
300+ Club
Joined
Oct 21, 2004
Location
BFE Desert east of Cali
I recently ended up with a new aluminum timing gear, but didn't get the crank gear. Does anyone know for sure if the alloy gear needs a different crank gear or if it's designed to run with the stock/original crank gear?
 
I do not recall having ever seen aluminum timing gears for those rascals.
The steel timing gear sets were a matched set.
I would be surprised (maybe even shocked) to have any manner of metal gear use the crankgear that matches up with a fiber gear.

You ready for the noise?
The steel gearsets were real noisy in particular as installed in the B-20. Worse with big valvespring loads.

Do try to find the steel thrust washer to put behind that gear. The standard bronze plate wears out pretty fast (by comparison). The steel thrust washer was installed in older B-18's.

Have fun!!

JohnLane.
 
I'd almost guarantee you need a matching crank gear.

I didn't notice any extra noise with the steel gears on my PV's motor - that was with an R cam and double valve springs. Although the exhaust was loud (intake too!) and that probably drowned any valvetrain noise out.

Steel thrust plates are a good idea. If you can't find them anywhere else I know KgTrimning sells them by themselves. Those bronze ones will wear as the angled gears put force onto them under running conditions - pushing the gear backwards onto it. And, for some strange reason, many of the fiber gears don't seem to have a very good surface on the back of them at the hub - almost as if the manufacturer didn't realize that was a bearing surface. A little roughness there and it eats right into the bronze. Then with a little endplay it will sound like a rod knock - just only at idle instead of at higher rpms.
 
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this is a question you should be asking the guy you got the gear from. is it from V-Performance??

the aluminum gears are re-useable when doing cam swaps etc, but i think it would be in your best interest to start with a new crank gear. i don't know who sells the gear seperately though, most are matched sets.

i never adressed my bronze cam retainer. i have used a new plate but i suspect some walking of the cam. it is a classic problem. maybe i will have to machine a steel flange.

james
 
Actually, the gear came with a pile of stuff I recently aquired, but there was no crank gear to be seen. I've got a question into John already and also asked about the cam plate, so we'll see what he's got to say.
Thanks for the replies!
 
JohnMc said:
I didn't notice any extra noise with the steel gears on my PV's motor - that was with an R cam and double valve springs. Although the exhaust was loud (intake too!) and that probably drowned any valvetrain noise out.
Click to expand...

What? Compared with an utterly worn out fiber gear? Heehee.

Must have been some noisy exhaust.

JL.
 
From the installation sheet that came with my Scan Tech fibre gear:

"NOTE: Gears supplied in a matched set are precision machined with shaved and crowned teeth, and must be installed as such. (Do not "mix" gears manufactured from different sources.) Handle and install with extreme care - any slight "nick" or damage to the teeth will cause EXCESSIVE GEAR NOISE."

Was the steel retainer plate fitted to all B18's? That sounds like a good retrofit for my B30.
 
Angus242164 said:
From the installation sheet that came with my Scan Tech fibre gear:

"NOTE: Gears supplied in a matched set are precision machined with shaved and crowned teeth, and must be installed as such. (Do not "mix" gears manufactured from different sources.) Handle and install with extreme care - any slight "nick" or damage to the teeth will cause EXCESSIVE GEAR NOISE."

Was the steel retainer plate fitted to all B18's? That sounds like a good retrofit for my B30.
Click to expand...
I don't know much about the plate yet either, but I'm curious as well. Funny, I never got any notes or anything with the fibre gears I've had, and most have been just gears rather than a set. Might just have to break down and buy a set sometime, although I've still got a lot of miles left.
 
one set of gears i got was complete and included bolts and retaining flange ( bronze) the next set i ordered didn't have the bolts of flange, and jstu came with the felt seal.

i paid $375 cdn for my gears!!! stupid i know but i was in a jamb.

this topic is getting away from performance, hahah ohh well

james
 
My Scan Tech set came with neoprene seal, timing cover gasket and bolts for the retainer plate, but no actual retainer plate.

Hence I'm interested in finding a steel B18 one.
 
I ordered one from KgTrimning. I think most new Volvo gear kits would come with one as well, but I'm not sure.
 
164 camshaft and gear replacement

I want to change the camshaft on a B30E with about 50,000 miles. Should I change the cam bearings and does that require a special tool or machine shop? What is better, the aluminum or the steel cam gear/steel crank gear set?
 
You almost certainly don't need new cam bearings, plus they don't install easily at all. Pretty much a machine shop thing.

Steel gears are best. As long as they're oiled properly they'll outlast the rest of the motor.
 
Why does every one complain about steel gears. It's not like the b18-20s are quiet
 
Amygdala said:
I want to change the camshaft on a B30E with about 50,000 miles. Should I change the cam bearings and does that require a special tool or machine shop? What is better, the aluminum or the steel cam gear/steel crank gear set?
Click to expand...

You want to change the cam or need to?

We got to replace many cams in B-30's due to flat lobes.

Be sure to replace followers at the same time.

Followers can come out with the head on the engine but they often require some wrestling to get to slide out.

Steel gear set is best for long life. The set has been NLA for years. Be sure that the nozzle to lubricate it is clean.
 
The rear cam plug has to be removed to change all of the cam bearings and that means the transmission or the engine has to be removed and at 50,000 miles, your cam bearings should be just fine.

I prefer steel gears over the original fiber even though it costs me a a very lucrative repeat job every 75,000- 100,000 miles. After steel gears are installed, you won't ever have to change them again.

I tell my customers I try to treat them the way I wanted to be treated by those in the know back when I had to trust the mechanics working on my car the few times that actually happened. Which means selling and installing the parts that I would install on my own Volvos.

New steel gear set are going to hard to find right now, although I thought that was not going to happen. Recently, I ran across what I thought was a new run of original SWAG timing gear sets in brand new Volvo boxes. These new timing gear kits even had the latest version of the front crankshaft seal that Volvo is currently selling.

I was buying them from Skandix and in a pinch IPD had them as well, but they cost more from IPD.

Last night, I went to see how much the new steel timing gear sets cost right now as prices always fluctuate and it turns out that Skandix shows them as discontinued and IPD does not have any in stock.

Used steel gear sets are available on ebay and elsewhere I am sure.

And in case you are interested, I have a NOS SWAG steel timing gear set in stock and a used set. I also have original SWAG fiber timing gear sets as well.

FYI, a cheaper timing gear set is made by Cloyes and is available from RockAuto, but I just don't trust that aluminum camshaft gear.
 
The Cloyes are fine afik.

I pulled an alloy one off of a running engine and sold it.

<a href="http://s255.photobucket.com/user/redwoodchair/media/140%20parts/140AlloyTiminggearset-1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh136/redwoodchair/140%20parts/140AlloyTiminggearset-1.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 140AlloyTiminggearset-1.jpg"/></a>

But I think rockauto is out now too.

:grrr:
 
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