Nylon timing gear
Printed From: The Ford Torino Page
Category: Model Specific Forum
Forum Name: 1977-1979 Ford and Mercury
Forum Description: Technical discussion for 1977-1979 Ford and Mercury
URL: https://forum.grantorinosport.org/forum_posts.asp?TID=7890
Printed Date: 26-March-2026 at 6:34PM
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.06 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Nylon timing gear
Posted By: 72sport
Subject: Nylon timing gear
Date Posted: 21-September-2012 at 10:32AM
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I have been driving a 1977 LTD II with a 351w for the last two years as my daily driver. It had 53k on it when I started driving it. To make sure it would be reliable I rebuilt the brakes and put a new heater core, water pump, and fuel pump along with basic tune up parts. The car now has 82k on it. It has been very reliable, but I started to think about the nylon timing it probably has. I kinda checked the chain slack by turning the crank with a wrench and watching the distributor rotor. The chain appears to show some slack, but doesn't appear to be excessively loose. The obvious questions are. Does a 77 351w have a nylon timing gear? If so should I change the timing set? Has anybody had a nylon gear fail on them?
------------- Tom 1972 Gran Torino Sport 4Spd 1974 Montego wagon "GT" with GT hood, correct buckets seats, console, and floor shift 2013 Focus 5 speed- Daily driver |
Replies:
Posted By: 75GranMan
Date Posted: 21-September-2012 at 11:19AM
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Oh yeah,It will fail.just a question of when.good winter project changing that one over,My guess the age would add to the brittleness of the gear also.ever find any small particles in the base during an oil change? ------------- John 75Gran Torino 4spd  |
Posted By: Dan the ranchero man
Date Posted: 21-September-2012 at 12:23PM
| They fail big!!! I have had them fail on 3 different fords and at 82K IT IS TIME TO REPLACE! Get a good cloyes tru roller timing chain and gear set approx $90 and well worth every penny. Don't buy a cheap set made in china the chain streches out real fast (about 10K) and you will back in it again. If you have the time and space lift the engine up and remove the pan and clean it out. You will see the broken parts in the pan. The real small peices get sucked up into the oil pump and make even more trouble. |
Posted By: 75GranMan
Date Posted: 21-September-2012 at 12:40PM
Yes,X2 on that dan! don't try to cheat and piece in the mini cork pieces that is supplied with the timing chain set.do it correct and do it once. ------------- John 75Gran Torino 4spd |
Posted By: 72sport
Date Posted: 21-September-2012 at 2:16PM
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It is my Daily Driver year round. I won't be able to pull the motor. If I start on Friday afternoon it needs to be done Sunday afternoon. I wish I would have put one in when I did the water pump. I guess I will get set to do it before it gets too much colder.
------------- Tom 1972 Gran Torino Sport 4Spd 1974 Montego wagon "GT" with GT hood, correct buckets seats, console, and floor shift 2013 Focus 5 speed- Daily driver |
Posted By: stanman
Date Posted: 21-September-2012 at 4:17PM
I don't think 2 days is an unrealistic amount of time to do the chain AND pull the pan. Once the engine is raised the pan comes off pretty easy. Wash it out, change the gasket and re-install. You had the front end apart already to do the water pump so it should come apart easily to that point. One more step to pull the front cover and you're there. I'm pretty sure I could do it in 2 days and I'm slow as crap. 
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Posted By: Regul8r
Date Posted: 21-September-2012 at 4:32PM
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2 days is VERY do-able! You could do the whole thing in a long saturday except pulling the oil pan to clean it. BUT, IF it has not failed then NOT a huge problem with pieces. The pieces are chunks that came flying off when it fails. WHEN you take it apart you will see IF you have many pieces missing and THAT would determin if you need to pull the pan. WHEN it fails, and it will, you will need to do the same work PLUS pull the pan and change the oil pump as the pieces will cause havoc EVERYWHERE. BUT, not sure if anyone can say DEFINITIVELY that this motor or that one has the nylon gears. They used many different stuff so until it comes apart... your guess is as good as the next guy. ------------- Carl Corey (Moderator/Event Coordinator) Contact ANYTIME! 1976 Ford Elite "Lola Mae" 97 Suzuki Intruder 1400 US Army Retired |
Posted By: Robbdtme
Date Posted: 22-September-2012 at 11:34AM
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I have had about half a dozen fail. get a hold of a decent harmonic balancer puller or that can be a bear to get off.
------------- Johnny cash Special 74-75-76 freak. 77 XR7. 78 LTD II sport looks pretty but poop 302 in it. |
Posted By: Rockatansky
Date Posted: 22-September-2012 at 1:42PM
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i don't think you need to pull down the pan if the nylon hasn't chunked off yet, you can spray braklean or similar into the opening at the front of the pan while you have the timing cover off and flush anything in there out the drain hole
cheap chains stretch a lot faster than 10K, more like <500 miles. chit, a new factory style silent chain and iron cam sprocket will last you at least as long as his one did. just change it with the waterpump from now on
 got $500 laying around?
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/FMS-M-6268-F302/" rel="nofollow - http://www.summitracing.com/parts/FMS-M-6268-F302/ re: those little 'mini cork pieces that is supplied with the timing chain set'
they didn't have RTV when those were invented, toss them into your gasket stash. they're good for something, maybe a cat toy? my cat loves his cork intake end seals!
 ------------- 72 GT Ute |
Posted By: Rockatansky
Date Posted: 22-September-2012 at 1:51PM
what about your valve stem seals then, they see more heat than the timing sprocket and they also chunk apart and spoil the oil pump when the screen clogs and the bypass hole under the strap opens up
  these toys suck, where's my intake end seal?
 ------------- 72 GT Ute |
Posted By: 72sport
Date Posted: 23-September-2012 at 2:43AM
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$500! Yikes, I spent $800 on the entire car. I was kinda thinking an edelbrock set or something else in the $50-60 price range. I should have a look at the valve seals, but I didn't even think of looking at them. There is no smoke on startup, hell it doesn't go down on oil in 3000 miles.
------------- Tom 1972 Gran Torino Sport 4Spd 1974 Montego wagon "GT" with GT hood, correct buckets seats, console, and floor shift 2013 Focus 5 speed- Daily driver |
Posted By: Rockatansky
Date Posted: 23-September-2012 at 7:40AM
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do you think the heads have ever been done, newer seals?
if it don't use oil it's probably had good maint all its' life, think it'll keep till next warm season?
33* here last night i had to pull in the plants ------------- 72 GT Ute |
Posted By: Robbdtme
Date Posted: 23-September-2012 at 8:36AM
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I did have one where a piece of a valve stem seal got into the oil pump locked the pump then sheared off the cam distributer drive gears. Way out of town at the time too.
------------- Johnny cash Special 74-75-76 freak. 77 XR7. 78 LTD II sport looks pretty but poop 302 in it. |