sm block gear drive

[35regal]

has anyone used a gear drive timming set? ebay has them for 110.00 , this is not the milidon set. the reason i ask is , im running a hughes timming chain set, the 100.00 one, with the timming chain tensioner, i heard this set -up retards the camshaft as it stretches.

 

[POS Dakota]

I think it's just as good as the milodon is, only for a way better price.
here's mine...

I'll hopefully be installing it this week.

 

[35regal]

yep, thats the one.:thumblef:

 

[Ironmike]

If you're ok with Chinese stuff. I'm not sure I'd trust it, myself. Seems to good to be true.

 

[Guitar Jones]

A good true roller chain with .250 pins and billet gear and sprocket are more than good enough for most any build here. Most so called experts agree that the gear drive transfers more harmonics thus it's actually detrimental to the valvetrain.

 

[72ScampTramp]

I bought one off ebay made my C.A.T performance. I called them before ordering to pick there brain. I to was drawn in by price vs Brand. They told me that they have never had one returned for failure. Also that there surface finish is better then milodon and others. I also looked at the company feedback before buying and not one compalint about item. So I felt comfortable buying.

 

[mshred]

A good true roller chain with .250 pins and billet gear and sprocket are more than good enough for most any build here. Most so called experts agree that the gear drive transfers more harmonics thus it's actually detrimental to the valvetrain.

so ideally, if you can get away with running a timing chain over a gear drive it is actually better for engine life?

 

[Badart]

I am running on of the Cat gear drives on my 318. The only reasons why I bought it is because I like the sound and was only a little more than a good quality timing set. I have about 2K miles on the car now with no issues. I ordered the noisy version, but it is still fairly quiet. I think because of the thick timing cover on these small blocks. Just to let you know, you will have to drill and tap your block in one place to position the idler sprocket.

 

[mopardude318]

I have the Milodon gear drive on my 408 stroker. I too only wanted it for the "whine" lol

 

[POS Dakota]

yep, thats the one.:thumblef:

It's a very high quality piece and the gears are high quality billet steel.
The idler gear is stout with a precision ball bearing and a strong attachment to the backplate.

It's not going anywhere.

I hear the term "engine harmonics" used frequently whenever someone says "gear drive" but ironically I have never seen anything to support the claim they are of any detriment.

geardrives have been used in some of the most powerful aircraft piston engines and are used in a lot of extreme duty diesels too with high reliability. I'm talking everything from light truck diesels all the way to locomotives.

 

[mshred]

It's a very high quality piece and the gears are high quality billet steel.
The idler gear is stout with a precision ball bearing and a strong attachment to the backplate.

It's not going anywhere.

I hear the term "engine harmonics" used frequently whenever someone says "gear drive" but ironically I have never seen anything to support the claim they are of any detriment.

geardrives have been used in some of the most powerful aircraft piston engines and are used in a lot of extreme duty diesels too with high reliability. I'm talking everything from light truck diesels all the way to locomotives.

those first two sentences sound like a company ad for the product lol

not bashing you or your opinion, but i think its hard to say how reliable the geardrive is just from looking at it, no matter how high quality it may seem...it would need to be run first before one can form a solid opinion on its reliability

maybe im a little late, but have you strapped it on yet and ran it (i was just going by your previous post)

 

[Badart]

I am an industrial mechanic by trade and I work with quite a bit of equipment that is gear driven. I agree that most of our equipment will never see 7K rpm, but driving a cam shaft does not require that much torque, where industrial equipment requires an extreme amount of torque and pressure on those gears in some cases. I have changed more chains and sprockets in my job over the last 20 than I care to count and I guarantee that gear driven equipment requires much less maintence if set up properly.

The most important thing with a gear driven piece of equipment is proper oiling. Rather in an oil bath or an oiling system on a timer. If it is set up properly and has oil it will run for years 24 hrs a day with no issues.

I guess time will tell if this is a good cheap alternative to a timing chain. I can tell you that after a 1k miles of beating on my little 318 I had to pull the engine to repair a leaking rear main seal. While I had the pan off I looked at the crank gear and there was no wear on it at all.

 

[Mad Dart]

I have the same Cat Gear drive in the 318/402 Stroker that I am putting in the 67 Dart I am working on. It is a High Quality Piece. No complaints that I can find about it.

 

[STR-14]

Well.....It's nice to build a motor for durability.....but I have yet to put 100K on any motor of these types being built........always sell the car off long before then.........
Build for yourself - build what you like........I like gear drives and if the next gut that buys it doesn't............well there you go.........that's how a project is born........
Daryl

 

[Guitar Jones]

geardrives have been used in some of the most powerful aircraft piston engines and are used in a lot of extreme duty diesels too with high reliability. I'm talking everything from light truck diesels all the way to locomotives.

Very true but, those engines as pointed out by badart don't turn very high RPMs. If you are just using the gear drive for a lower RPM street engine for the sound, no big deal but, if you are using it for a high RPM race type engine and think you need it for timing accuracy then you are wasting your money. The valvetrain harmonics on a 59* block with W style heads where the pushrods are working in two different angles are horrendous. It won't support anything over 8000 RPM. This I can attest to from experience. If you add to this a gear drive where there would be no dampening of the crankshaft harmonics it's going to be a valvetrain nightmare. The ideal setup would be a belt drive and/or a 48* lifter block.

 

[bad440]

Very true but, those engines as pointed out by badart don't turn very high RPMs. If you are just using the gear drive for a lower RPM street engine for the sound, no big deal but, if you are using it for a high RPM race type engine and think you need it for timing accuracy then you are wasting your money. The valvetrain harmonics on a 59* block with W style heads where the pushrods are working in two different angles are horrendous. It won't support anything over 8000 RPM. This I can attest to from experience. If you add to this a gear drive where there would be no dampening of the crankshaft harmonics it's going to be a valvetrain nightmare. The ideal setup would be a belt drive and/or a 48* lifter block.

x2 your better off with roller chain.plus the milodon part has been around for a very long time bet the chinese version wont lst as long

 

[moper]

x2 your better off with roller chain.plus the milodon part has been around for a very long time bet the chinese version wont lst as long

X3
The cam doesnt get retarded with a tensioner BTW. Whoever said that's not really well versed on how the chain and tensioner work or perhaps overthinking things. crank puls cam, chain goes slack on other length or bows out depending on the rpm and cam/load. The tensioner simply removes the "bow" so the cam sprocket has less tendency to move, thus allowing the timing to vary. All chains do this to a point, and the higher the rpm and heavier the chain, the more they do it. Gear drives came to automotive because chain technology (and eventually belts) had not come around fast enough and they needed more stability to get higher rpms out of them.