FB/EK HOLDEN

TIMING GEAR REPLACEMENT

ENTHUSIASTS GUIDE

REVISION DATE UPDATE

0 June 2011 Initial draft for review.

1
 Table of Contents

1 Background .............................................................................................................................. 2
2 Symptoms of a Failed Timing Gear .......................................................................................... 2
3 Parts Required.......................................................................................................................... 3
4 Replacement Process .............................................................................................................. 5

1 Background

This document aims to provide some information regarding the process for changing a grey motor timing
gear as fitted to FB and EK Holdens. It contains practical information on identification of timing gear
failure, disassembly and reassembly of FB and EK Holden timing gear assemblies. It has been written to
explain both workshop-type practices, and those used at the side of the road.

Whilst this document is primarily related to the FB and EK Holden grey motors, much of the information is
similar or identical to other early Holden motors. Much of the information below is drawn from internet
forums, discussion with enthusiasts and common sense. I have used photos and other information from a
wide variety of sources, particularly from the forums – if anyone is offended by my use of the material,
feels I have breached copyright or needs recognition, please let me know and I will correct the issue
immediately.

I would however like to thank Gary, Colin and Thommo for their comments on the draft a- much
appreciated.

Equally, I have made opinions and drawn conclusions on some of the information I have found and
equipment I have owned - if anyone believes that I have made an error (or knows a better way to do
something), please let me know and I will update the document... after all, the main purpose here is to
help other early Holden enthusiasts.

Like all things automotive, changing a timing gear comes with a risk. Leaking fuel lines can lead to fires,
hands can be caught in fan blades and hot radiator water can scald (amongst other hazards). Any advice
contained in this document is to be taken at the reader’s risk – qualified mechanics should be consulted
where appropriate.

2 Symptoms of a Failed Timing Gear

Timing gears normally show no sign of trouble until they let go… normally when the car is out on the road
somewhere. Cars that have been sitting for some time then started to be reused are particularly at risk,
often because the timing gear oil hole has blocked with crud, and the timing gears runs dry. It is unusual
for the timing gear to let go on an engine that is switched off or idling – they normally fail when the engine
is running on the road. The engine suddenly stops dead for no obvious reason and will not restart. The
following are ways to identify a failed timing gear:

2
 The starter motor turns over the engine more quickly than normal (because the valves are stuck in
one position, with most open, and little compression occurs).
 Take off the rocker cover breather cap and look at the rockers when the motor is being turned over
by the starter motor – the rockers don’t move (because the crankshaft can’t turn the camshaft to
drive the rockers). You can check this if you are on your own by turning the engine over with the fan
blades (hold a little tension on the fan belt) whilst peering down the rocker cover.
 Take off the distributor cap and look at the rotor button when the motor is being turned over by the
starter motor – the rotor button doesn’t move (because the crankshaft can’t turn the camshaft to
drive the distributor). You can check this if you are on your own by turning the engine over with the
fan blades whilst looking at the rotor button.
 The fuel pump doesn’t pump any fuel (because it is driven off the camshaft lobes, and the camshaft
can’t be driven by the crankshaft).
 The oil pump doesn’t pump any oil (because it is driven off the distributor, which is driven off the
camshaft, and the camshaft can’t be driven by the crankshaft), so the red oil pressure “idiot light”
stays lit up on the dash when the motor is being turned over by the starter motor. Not a good idea to
do this for too long…

3 Parts Required

The following parts are required to replace a timing gear:

 Rocker cover gasket

 Sideplate gasket
 Sideplate cork seals
 Fuel pump gasket
 Timing cover gasket

At a pinch you can reuse the existing gaskets (a smear of silicon gasket cement helps), though there is a
pretty fair chance they will leak down the line (rocker cover gaskets for example you may get away with…
timing cover gaskets less so).

There is also an oil seal in the front of the timing cover that seals against the harmonic balancer – whilst
you can generally get away with reusing it, now is not a bad time to replace it, especially if it is leaking.
The harmonic balancer may have grooves where the seal lip runs on the balancer. Over the years the
seal wears a groove in the balancer, and a new seal will sometimes leak because of this. If so, there are
a number of options:

 you may need to try to find a better balancer with little or no groove or better still a new balancer
(Rare Spares part number 7408676, American Autos part number HB17B-N, Ross tuffbond).
 another option is to weld the grooves and remachine, though this is not for the faint hearted!
 a further option is to fit a thin sleeve over the worn groove area (a kit with these sleeves and a
fitment tool is available from MAHLE Clevite, see http://www.mahleclevite.com/publications/GA-50-
05.pdf).
 it may also be possible to place a washer between the harmonic balancer end and the crankshaft
gear to bring the worn groove area slightly out from the normal running area of the seal on the
balancer which gives the seal a unworn running surface. Note though that this will put the harmonic
balancer pulley out of line with the fan and alternator pulleys, and can lead to premature fan belt
failure.

3
You will also need to make a choice between a fibre, alloy or steel replacement timing gear.

PRO CON
Fibre  Most quiet type of gears.  Least reliable type of gears (most prone to
 Cheapest type of gears. failure should the oil nozzle block).
Alloy  Lightest gears.  Alloy gears are two-piece (steel hub and alloy
gear ring), and have been known to flog out
(the steel centre separates from the alloy
gear hub) over time.
 Can be noisier than fibre gears – see Steel
gears below.
Steel  Most reliable type of gears.  The steel gears have a hit-and-miss
reputation for being noisy – some people
find no noise increase, some people find
them noisy only if you change the
crankshaft gear with the one that comes
with the set, some people find the noise
diminishes after 1000-2000 miles of use,
and other people find they have gilmer
belt-type whine like a supercharger.
 Steel gears may not "flex" even slightly
when revving hard. This can cause them
to shear the front of the cam clean off
under heavy load. This camshaft loading
has been reported anecdotally from early
grey motor racers, though would be
extremely rare in a road-going vehicle.

On average, most enthusiasts recommend that steel gears, followed by alloy with fibre as the least
preferred option.

Part number
Part
GMH American Auto Parts Rare Spares Permaseal
Rocker cover gasket 7411305 JM736 - JM736
Sideplate gasket 7415894 KV171 KV171
H1081
Sideplate cork seals SP1105 KG971 KG971
Fuel pump gasket 7400435 92014836 - -
Timing cover gasket 7425189 TC47 7425189 JR396
7412742
Timing cover seal note 1 PR3540 VS13801 -
7426199
Timing gear – fibre 7414360 43SA 7414360 -
Timing gear – steel - MFXCAM - -
note 2
Timing gear - alloy - JP5986 - -
Note1: dual lip seal.
Note 2: contains both crankshaft and camshaft gears together with camshaft thrust plate.

Note that steel timing gear sets (an iron camshaft gear, a steel crankshaft gear, a camshaft thrust plate
and crankshaft oil seal) are also available as (Part number GS138) from Master Engineering (12-16 Hill
Street Port Elliot South Australia 5212, Telephone: (08) 85542488, Facsimile (08) 85542499, Email:
[email protected]). Diecrest Engineering (Corner of Bagshaw Street and Thompsons
Road Harcourt Victoria 3453, Telephone (03) 54742321, Facsimile (03) 54742536, Email
[email protected]) can also supply steel timing gears, though they generally make them on demand
rather than stocking them.

4
When replacing a fibre timing gear, it is generally required to replace only the camshaft gear, leaving the
original crankshaft gear intact. Timing gears are normally helically-cut, which reduces thrust on the
camshaft and crankshaft. Straight-cut timing gears are available (requiring both the camshaft and
crankshaft gears to be replaced together). Straight-cut gears are noisier, and offer very little performance
benefit over helical cut gears – they are only recommended for those seeking every last available ounce
of horsepower from a grey motor (minor changes in exhaust or carburetor will make a much more
noticeable power difference).

You will also need to buy (or borrow) a harmonic balancer puller
(from SuperCheap, Bursons, Repco etc). The puller will allow you
to remove the harmonic balancer from the crankshaft without
tearing the rubber bonding. The picture to the lower left shows
the most common type of harmonic balancer puller available from
SuperCheap, Bursons, Repco etc. The photo on the upper left
and the workshop manual image below shows the original GMH
type puller, which will also remove the harmonic balancer (though is a lot less common). This puller must
be used for original factory harmonic balancers which do not have the holes to engage the “aftermarket”
type puller. At a pinch, the GMH puller can be made up at home.

4 Replacement Process

1. The radiator needs to come out to give access to pull the harmonic
balancer and camshaft out of the motor. Allow the engine to cool.
Loosen the clamp on the bottom radiator hose, and remove the radiator
cap. Let the radiator drain until it is empty.

2. Loosen the top radiator hose (leaving it on the thermostat housing), and loosen the bottom hose at
the water pump. Undo the four ½” AF bolts either side of the radiator. Lift the radiator up and out,
taking the bottom hose with it.
3. The fan assembly needs to come out to give access to pull the harmonic
7
balancer and camshaft out of the motor. Loosen the /16” AF bolt at the
top of the generator slide. Holding under the generator, push upwards to
swing it towards the motor until the fan belt is slack. Remove the fan
belt. Remove the four bolts in the front of the fan blade, then remove the
fan blade and pulley.
4. The grill assembly needs to come out to give access to pull the harmonic
balancer and camshaft out of the motor. Remove the front grill from the vehicle (for FB Holdens,
3 3
there are six /8” AF bolts in the front stone tray, two /8” AF bolts in the front guards, two ½” AF bolts
in the bonnet catch and three bolts which will be half seized and covered in gunk in each indicator
housing tucked up behind the guards).

5
5. The harmonic balancer needs to be slid off the end of the crankshaft to allow the timing cover to be
removed. Place the harmonic balancer puller centre bolt into the crankshaft snout. Screw the three
puller bolts into the three holes in the front of the harmonic balancer, making sure they are even. Use
a long screwdriver to jam between the puller bolts (to stop the crankshaft turning) whilst screwing in
the puller centre bolt. The harmonic balancer will slide off the end of the crankshaft.

6. The timing cover needs to be removed to access the timing gear. Undo the seven ½” AF bolts and
six slot-head screws and remove the timing cover. The timing gear should appear to be stripped of
teeth. Clear out any oil, stripped teeth and fibre sludge from the bottom of the timing gear cavity.

7. The fuel pump needs to be removed to either hold the camshaft or to

allow it to be removed. Disconnect and block the fuel lines from the fuel
pump. For FB and earlier Holdens, also disconnect the vacuum motor
line. Remove the two ½” AF bolts either side of the fuel pump, then lift
out the pump.

8. It is possible to remove the old timing gear and refit a new one with the camshaft still in the car. This
option is popular if you are stuck in the middle of nowhere, and can’t get the car back home. To
remove the gear, a grinder and/or drill is used to carefully grind off the top half of the fibre gear, then
grind through the steel gear centre and front plate, taking care to avoid grinding through to the
camshaft. Use a small cold chisel to split the steel gear centre. A screwdriver is then used to pry the
old timing gear off. A pry bar, screwdriver or tyre iron is then put in through the fuel pump hole and
held against the fuel pump cam lobe to help stop the camshaft from being knocked backwards whilst
the new gear is tapped on with a hammer, using a socket as a drift. If the cam moves backwards, it
will drive out the rear cam bearing plug. Note that on the timing gear there is a small “dot” located on
a gear tooth valley. There is also a “dot” on the crankshaft gear above one tooth. The timing gear
must be hammered on such that the crankshaft and camshaft dots line up. Once the camshaft is
home, the fuel pump, timing cover, harmonic balancer, fan and radiator assemblies are reinstalled
and the car is ready to go.

6
 The “replace timing gear without removing camshaft” process described in step 8. above can get you
out of trouble at the side of the road. However it is not recommended as the camshaft thrust
3
clearance cannot be set, there is a significant risk of driving out the 1 /8” camshaft rear plug or
damaging the camshaft bearings. It is possible to drill and tap a thread in the end of the camshaft,
then use a bolt and washers to pull the new gear onto the camshaft. This avoids driving the rear
camshaft plug out (a similar process of drilling and tapping two holes in the crankshaft gear then
using a bracket can be used to pull the crankshaft gear off). Drilling a camshaft is not for the faint
hearted though. The process below assumes that the camshaft will be removed from the car, and
continues from step 7. above.

9. The rocker cover needs to be removed to access the rocker gear.

5
Remove the two /8” AF nuts from the top of the rocker cover, then
remove the cover, lifting it out gently around the fuel, vacuum and heater
hoses.

10. The rocker gear needs to be removed to access the pushrods. Remove the ten ½” AF bolts and two
3
½” AF nuts from the rocker shafts. Using a flare nut spanner, undo the /8” AF flare nut from the
camshaft oil pipe. Lift off the rocker assembly.

11. The pushrods need to be removed to access the lifters. Lift out each of
the twelve pushrods (one at a time!), pushing them sequentially through
a piece of cardboard. Label the cardboard so that you are confident that
the pushrods go back into their original holes. By putting the pushrods
back into their original positions, you will probably not need to reset the
tappets later.

12. The sparkplugs need to be removed to access the sideplate. Use some masking tape to label the
sparkplug leads (starting with “1” at the front of the car) then remove the leads from the sparkplugs,
leaving them hanging on the distributor. Also disconnect the lead from the top of the coil. Using a
13
/16” AF plug socket, remove the spark plugs.

13. The coil needs to be removed to access the sideplate. Undo the coil mounting with a flat-bladed
screwdriver and lay the coil to one side on the inner fender.

7
14. The distributor needs to be removed to access the sideplate and allow the camshaft to come out.
3
Using a flare nut spanner, undo the /8” AF flare nut on the vacuum advance line on the front of the
9
distributor. Undo the /32” AF nut from the side of the distributor and disconnect the black earth lead.
Undo the ½” AF bolt from under the front of the distributor and lift the distributor assembly out of the
motor. Plug the distributor hole with clean rag to prevent anything falling into the motor (like sideplate
screws…).
15. The sideplate needs to be removed to access the lifters. Remove the
fifteen slot-head sideplate screws, and the additional screw that holds
the engine breather pipe (walking stick) in place. The breather pipe
screw is underneath the engine rails, and may require getting under the
vehicle to get at it. If the vehicle is jacked up to access this screw, make
sure that stands are used. Remove the engine side plate and breather,
lifting them out carefully around the vacuum line.

16. The camshaft lifters need to be removed to allow the camshaft to slide
out. Remove each of the twelve camshaft followers (one at a time!) by
putting your finger into the top of them and pulling them out. Lay them
out on a clean piece of paper in order, labeling the paper so that you are
confident that the followers go back into their original holes. By putting
the followers back into their original positions, you will probably not need
to reset the tappets later.
17. There is a camshaft thrust plate that will prevent the camshaft from being pulled out of the motor.
Turn the camshaft fibre timing gear around (by tapping with a drift on the camshaft fibre gear holes)
until the two camshaft fibre gear holes are vertical. Use a slot-head screwdriver through the camshaft
fibre gear holes to undo and remove the two slot-head bolts from the camshaft thrust plate. Pull the
camshaft and attached fibre gear out of the engine, supporting the camshaft as it comes out to
protect the camshaft bearings inside the motor.

18. The oil slinger ring fitted to the end of the crankshaft will prevent the new
timing gear/camshaft assembly from sliding into the motor. Use a shifting
spanner on the crankshaft (the crankshaft is round, but the spanner will
catch on the key), turn the crankshaft such that the small “dot” on the
crankshaft gear points towards the camshaft hole (about the 10 o’clock
position – this is to help line up the camshaft later). Using a small drift,
tap down one end of the crankshaft key so that the key flips up (they key
is a half-moon shape). Tap the key out and remove the oil slinger ring from the end of the crankshaft.

8
19. The timing gear oil nozzle can often block, leading to lack of oiling (and often
failure of fibre timing gears). The nozzle screws into the front of the engine
(circled in the picture to the right) – take note which direction it is facing, as it
must point such that it oils the gears. Remove the nozzle and check that the
oil gallery behind it is clear (gently with a piece of wire). Check the nozzle is
clear, then reinstall it, making sure it is pointing in the right direction. Put a
long flat-bladed screwdriver down the distributor hole and turn the
screwdriver clockwise to engage the oil pump. Continue turning until a good flow of oil comes out of
the timing gear oil nozzle, confirming it is clear.

Everything is now apart… time to change the gear and get it all back together again.

20. It is advisable to use a hydraulic press (and associated dies) to press the fibre timing gear off the
camshaft and the new timing gear on. In the absence of a hydraulic press, many enthusiasts choose
to grind the old one off, and hammer the new one on. I will describe the grind/hammer process
below. Hold the camshaft fibre gear in a vice, taking care that the camshaft bearings/lobes are not
touching the vice. Cover the camshaft to keep (most) of the grinding crap off the camshaft. Carefully
grind off the top half of the fibre gear, then grind through the steel gear centre and front plate, taking
care to avoid grinding through to the camshaft. Use a small cold chisel to split the steel gear centre.
Tap the camshaft out of the fibre gear with a drift, taking care to support and catch the camshaft as it
moves.

21. Using a small drift, tap down one end of the camshaft key so that the key flips up. Tap the key out.
Clean the end of the camshaft and the key with emery paper. Tap the key back into the camshaft.
22. Lightly oil the camshaft, key, steel gear and keyway. Place
the camshaft on the ground on a piece of softwood, and
align the steel gear to the keyway. Take care that the gear is
facing so that the “dot” side us up (concave side down).
Using a 1” socket as a drift, tap on the steel gear onto the
camshaft. The timing gear is driven on whilst stopping
periodically to check with a feeler gauge the gap (“end play”)
between the thrust plate and the camshaft journal – see image to the right above. Drive the gear on
until there is a clearance of 0.004” to 0.006” between the thrust plate and journal. Note that warming
the steel timing gear (not to red hot, but warm enough to handle) will enlarge the centre hole and
make it easier to drive on (especially on a frosty cold morning!).
23. Plug the camshaft hole in the front of the motor with some clean rag, then clean the timing cover
gasket face. Remove the rag.

9
24. Lightly oil the lobes and bearings of the camshaft.
Support the camshaft as it slides into the block, taking
care not to mark the bearings inside the motor. Note that
on the camshaft gear there is a small “dot” located on a
gear tooth valley. There is also a “dot” on the crankshaft
gear above one tooth. As the camshaft slides home,
turn the camshaft so that the crankshaft and camshaft
dots line up.
25. Clean the crankshaft key with some emery paper. Slide on the oil slinger ring, then tap the
crankshaft key in place with a small drift until it is level.
26. Use a shifting spanner on the crankshaft (it will catch on the key), turn the crankshaft until the
camshaft gear holes are vertical. Insert and tighten the camshaft thrustplate screws. Note that it can
be difficult getting the screws into the holes in the camshaft gear. One trick is to use a large blade
screwdriver, and “stick” the screws to the screwdriver with a dollop of grease. If you do drop the
screws behind the gear, a magnet will help fish them out.
27. Install the camshaft followers, taking care that they are each put back into their original holes. Give
the followers a light squirt of oil before putting them in.
28. Cover the camshaft followers with some clean paper/rag to stop anything falling into them. Clean the
side plate and gasket face. The side plate cork gasket can be fiddly to get in place – one trick is to
use a smear of gasket cement (silicon) or grease to stick it to the sideplate, using the sideplate
screws to align it. Also install the six spark plug hole cork gaskets onto the side plate. Install the
sideplate and engine breather pipe.
29. Cover the fuel pump hole in the engine to stop anything falling in, then clean the fuel pump and
gasket face. Install the fuel pump and gasket, taking care that the fuel pump arm slides up above the
camshaft lobe.
30. Reinstall the spark plugs and coil.
31. Reinstall the pushrods, taking care that they are each put back into their original holes.
32. Place the rocker shafts back onto the two rocker cover studs. As the rocker shafts lower, ensure the
rockers sit onto their pushrods. Connect the camshaft oil pipe with a flare nut spanner, then tighten
the rocker bolts to 15-20 ftlb torque.
33. Clean the timing cover and gasket face. Put the timing cover and new gasket in place with the
screws/bolts loose. There is a fair bit of slop in the timing cover, which can lead to the crankshaft oil
seal not sitting right. Oil the crankshaft and key, then fit up the harmonic balancer. Place a piece of
wood packing in front of the harmonic balance, then use a hammer to drive the balancer onto the
crankshaft. As the balance drives home, the oil seal will centre. Tighten the screws and bolts that are
accessible, then use the puller to remove the harmonic balancer. Tighten the remaining screws/bolts,
then reinstall the harmonic balancer, tapping it home until it is flush with the end of the crankshaft.
Note that like the steel timing gear, warming the harmonic balancer will enlarge the centre hole and
make it easier to drive on, especially on a cold morning.
34. Install the fan pulley, fan and fan belt. Push the generator away from the motor then tighten the
generator slide bolt.
35. Install the radiator and radiator hoses. Fill the radiator with coolant.
36. Install the grill.
37. Using the fan, turn the motor over until cylinder #1 is in the firing position. This can be seen by
looking at cylinder #6 (the one closest to the firewall). Watch carefully until you can see one of the
cylinder #6 rockers rising (and just stopping), and the other cylinder #6 rocker just starting to fall.
This is referred to as cylinder #6 “rocking” (i.e. one rocker just finishing and one just starting). As you
are turning the motor over, you should hear the fuel pump wheezing, and the glass fuel bowl filling
with fuel.

10
38. Check the timing mark by looking at the back of the motor under the
distributor. In the timing “window” you should be able to see a white mark
on the flywheel (this is the timing ball – it is often marked with white paint
to make it easier to see). Use the fan to move the motor backwards or
forwards (just a touch) until the timing ball is directly under the timing
window pointer.

39. With the distributor in your hands or on a bench, take the distributor cap off
the distributor and look carefully at the steel “rim” where the cap sits. There
is a small mark on the rim near the vacuum advance module (you may need
to clean the last fifty years of crap off the rim to see the mark… it is faint).
The image to the right shows roughly where to look. This mark is where the
rotor button points when it is firing cylinder #1. Turn the rotor button around
(which spins the distributor shaft) until the rotor button is pointing to the
mark.
40. Look at how the oil pump drive tang at the bottom of the distributor is pointing. Imagine the distributor
in the motor, and how the oil pump tang would face (side to side across the block). Using a long
screwdriver down the camshaft hole, engage the oil pump and turn it until it is side-to-side, ready to
engage the distributor.
41. Reconnect the black earth lead to the distributor, then gently lower the distributor down the
distributor hole, allowing it to turn very slightly as the gear engages. It may be necessary to turn the
motor (via the fan) slightly until the distributor drops (don’t force it). You can see the distributor has
dropped when the advance/retard plate at the base of the distributor is sitting on the block. Once the
distributor has dropped, check the white timing mark is still under the pointer in the timing window,
and that the rotor button is still pointing to the mark on the distributor rim. If you missed the drive
gear by one tooth, the rotor button won’t be pointing correctly to the mark – take it out and try again.
Once it is aligned (white mark in the timing window pointer, cylinder # 6 rocking and rotor pointing to
the mark), install the ½” bolt in the distributor advance/retard plate. Connect the vacuum advance
line flare nut.
42. Install the distributor cap and leads, taking care to get the right lead to it’s cylinder (use the labels
you made earlier. Remember that the distributor spins clockwise (viewed from above), and the firing
order is 1-5-3-6-2-4.
43. Install the rocker cover and new gasket.
44. Test start the motor – it may not run as easily as normal, as the timing is probably out. Set the motor
timing with a timing light until the timing ball is directly under the timing window pointer.

11
45. It is possible when replacing the timing gear that you cannot get the timing ball directly under the
timing gear window. The symptoms of this are:
 the timing mark appears to the far right of the window no matter how far you advance the
distributor. It feels like you have the distributor off by one tooth. However,
 if you move the distributor around one tooth, the timing mark appears to the far left of the
window no matter how far you retard the distributor.
It feels like you are “stuck” between too much advance, and too much retard, and can be caused by
the old timing fibre timing gear having had a lot of slop. If this is the case:
 with the engine stopped, move the engine around until the until the timing ball is directly
under the timing window pointer and the distributor is pointing to cylinder #1.
 loosen the ½” bolt in the distributor advance/retard plate and set the distributor to about ½
way between full advance and full retard (i.e. zero advance and zero retard) on the
advance/retard plate.
 slacken the slot-headed clamp around the distributor body.
 with the engine and a timing light running, turn the distributor body until the timing ball is
directly under the timing window pointer.
 tighten the slot-headed clamp around the distributor body.
46. Run the motor up to temperature, looking for any oil leaks. Allow the motor to cool then topup the
radiator coolant.

12