Cam Gear

[Jags]

Hello all,

 

I have a 09 Legacy engine I'm working on, I assembled all the timing components and pulled the timing tensioner pin. When turning it I accidentally nicked the timing gear would you still run it? It's plastic which I hate but don't want to dissasemble all of this again. I just don't want to have issues with the belt jumping off or something.  All teeth seem to be intact on the gear. 

Edited October 28, 2022 by Jags

[blackobxt]

You’re probably going to get multiple opinions on this but I did a motor on an 05 Sti once and recommended changing the gears that looked a little suspect and the customer declined, a few months later he was beating on the car and one of the gears came apart. Unfortunately for him, I documented that he declined my recommendation. It’s 13yr old plastic so imo it’d be a cheap insurance policy to change them.

[silverton]

Part of me says that's fiiiiine.  Part of me says replace it.  But also, how in the world did you nick the cam gear like that while turning it over? Definitely be more diligent if you replace it.

[Jags]

1 hour ago, silverton said:

Part of me says that's fiiiiine.  Part of me says replace it.  But also, how in the world did you nick the cam gear like that while turning it over? Definitely be more diligent if you replace it.

 

6 hours ago, blackobxt said:

You’re probably going to get multiple opinions on this but I did a motor on an 05 Sti once and recommended changing the gears that looked a little suspect and the customer declined, a few months later he was beating on the car and one of the gears came apart. Unfortunately for him, I documented that he declined my recommendation. It’s 13yr old plastic so imo it’d be a cheap insurance policy to change them.

Yeah guess I might go to a you pull and try to get a metal cam gear instead of the plastic ones, definitely my fault accidentally hit it with the breaker bar when turning it over.

Anyways I'm assuming I'm going to have to now recompress the tensioner since the grenade pin has been removed. Is there a certain procedure? Don't want to destroy the tensioner as it's new.

[NORULZleggy]

I will say it again, do not cut corners. Get the new part. that's called stupid tax lol 

[blackobxt]

Use a c clamp or a vice to very very slowly compress it and put the pin back in. Go super slow and take your time, too fast and you can blow the seals out of it or damage it

[kzr750r1]

For what it's worth just replace it. I was about to keep running the exhaust cams gears on mine and eventually decided it's not worth the risk.

These are cheaper than having it break later. I had already bought the intake gears so it was a no brainer.

Mine were just a little chewed on the wrench points. But after 254K opted for new.

[Jags]

 

8 hours ago, kzr750r1 said:

For what it's worth just replace it. I was about to keep running the exhaust cams gears on mine and eventually decided it's not worth the risk.

These are cheaper than having it break later. I had already bought the intake gears so it was a no brainer.

Mine were just a little chewed on the wrench points. But after 254K opted for new.

That is true, from the looks of it I can scoop a good used cam gear for around $10 at a local you pull yard. I just had the heads rebuilt and resealed mostly everything I rather not have over $1k sinked in this engine go to waste. 

[seanyb505]

A generic looking plastic gear shouldn't be more than a few bucks at a local junkyard... How much do you trust yourself to actually get that cam bolt out at a junkyard lol

[Jags]

23 minutes ago, seanyb505 said:

A generic looking plastic gear shouldn't be more than a few bucks at a local junkyard... How much do you trust yourself to actually get that cam bolt out at a junkyard lol

This isn't a DOHC so I shouldn't have bolts break, It's a single cam so I'm not too worried about the bolts. 

Edited October 29, 2022 by Jags

[silverton]

if you can find a metal one, go for it!  A vice is the easiest thing to use.  manual says to compress it very slowly, it should be a 3-5 minute process.  Don't stick the pin in too far! I've done that and it wont be able to bolt in.

[Jags]

15 hours ago, silverton said:

if you can find a metal one, go for it!  A vice is the easiest thing to use.  manual says to compress it very slowly, it should be a 3-5 minute process.  Don't stick the pin in too far! I've done that and it wont be able to bolt in.

I managed to find one that was metal and got it for $3. I believe I have timed everything correctly. Turned over fine without any locking. 

[kzr750r1]

Looks good. Run it!

Sorry I thought this was DOHC motor.

[Jags]

All good, still probably was a good idea to replace it and I probably should of specified that it was SOHC

[All_talk]

I not positive but I think there may be some differences with the timing marks between the plastic and metal timing gears. I know there was with the EJ engines from the 90s. I seem to remember the cam sensors were different as well. 

Assuming it is running fine at this point?

[silverton]

I've swapped the plastic gear for a metal one on one of my own, I compared them before installation and everything was located the same. Not saying that's the case for all of them, but this is a viable swap.  plus, it just looks sexier with two metal gears.