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John's and Don's combined advice is very excellent. Let me add
a practical note or 2.
Although it is possible to knock out the soft plug behind the cam by
hammering or pushing against the front of the cam, it is not extremely
delicate. If you need to tap on the gear a bit to get it started, it
helps to pull the cam forward a bit so that it is not already against
the soft plug. It is not a tight fit. Don't tap it more than once or
twice (lightly) before pulling the cam away from the soft plug again.
The steel washer/spacer that goes between the cam and the gear is only
about 2 or 3 thousandths thicker than the brass retainer plate. This
small clearance keeps the axial play of the cam very small, as axial
play on a helical gear gives variance in the timing. Be SURE and use
a new plate, even if it doesn't come with your timing gear set, as
wear in the old one affects both valve and ignition timing.
I found that a 15" Crescent Wrench works admirably on the cam nut and
can also be used for a host of other things for which a 1 17/16" socket
cannot.
I made a pair of gear pullers out of wood and appropriately sized bolts.
The crank gear puller was a piece of 1 1/2" x 2" (actual dimension)
maple (other hardwood will work) with a couple 5/16" - 18 bolts
through appropriately spaced holes and washers. Just put it over the
end of the crank and tighten the bolts alternately. If the bolts are
screwed in all the way and the gear is not loose, loosen the bolts and put
a spacer between the end of the crank and the puller and go at it again.
I made a puller for the cam gear out of a triangular piece of plywood
and some carriage bolts with matching nuts and washers. I ground the
carriage bolt heads eccentric so that they would go through the holes
on the gear but stuck out on one side only, to act like a hook. Drill
holes in the triangle to match 3 holes in the gear, but the right size
for the bolts (3/8" - a snug fit is desirable to help keep the bolts
from turning when you tighten the nuts). Later I put a thread insert into
the center so that once I got the carriage bolt hooks in place and snug
I could pull the gear by tightening the center bolt only rather than
alternating between the 3 carriage bolts. I think the plywood was 3/4"
and I rounded the corners of the triangle.
--
George Downs Bartlesville, Oklahoma
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