gear drive VS timing chain
04-20-2008, 05:39 PM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,308
gear drive VS timing chain
Pros and cons of each. Guy I know from work has an S1-0 he want to build low 12's/high 11's.
He thinks gear drives are the way to go. I never heard of them before.
discuss
He thinks gear drives are the way to go. I never heard of them before.
discuss
04-20-2008, 06:25 PM
#2
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: 51°N 114°W, 3500' elevation
Posts: 2,037
Gear drives are annoying. I had one in my race engine for one day before I yanked it out and put a chain back in. Even the high end race cars would rather use a belt drive over gear or chain.
04-21-2008, 09:39 PM
#7
Moderator
Join Date: Dec 1969
Location: Buffalo, New York
Posts: 10,745
Look closely at the literature on the cheap gear drives. If it's from a reputable manufacturer, it will have a disclaimer like "not for use over 6,500rpm" or something like that. The materials are typically of poor quality, etc. If you are talking about one from Crower, Milodon, etc. than it's a different story. These will be in the $400-800 range. Somehow, I get the feeling we are talking about the kind that sell for $100 bucks or so where the main claim to fame is that they are noisy? Stay away from these, IMHO, unless you have a very mild setup.
Rich
Rich
04-22-2008, 05:45 PM
#11
Banned
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Goochland, Va.
Posts: 4,974
If its a hotrod or street rod it won't matter, but I will they they are so much trouble alot of people will not touch them, I've never heard anything positive about them. Even the high end ones....
04-25-2008, 07:31 PM
#12
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Rochester
Posts: 27
i didnt really notice it being too loud when we ran it on the stand, but that might have been due to the open headers...
i dont really want to remove the waterpump and harmonic balancer and buy a new set, but from what i've read elsewhere the gearsets can be pretty hard on the valvetrain due to no give like a chain has. Not too sure if i buy that though.
i dont really want to remove the waterpump and harmonic balancer and buy a new set, but from what i've read elsewhere the gearsets can be pretty hard on the valvetrain due to no give like a chain has. Not too sure if i buy that though.
04-29-2008, 08:24 AM
#13
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Memphis, TN
Posts: 9
I personally have seen crank snouts break off and early bearing failure with these gear drives.
Think of it like this... You have two gears that are constantly trying to squeeze a smaller gear between the two.
A good double roller chain is what I prefer.
Think of it like this... You have two gears that are constantly trying to squeeze a smaller gear between the two.
A good double roller chain is what I prefer.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post