Cam Gear problems

freddo
freddo Member
in Hudson 8
Hi  I have a 1934 Hudson 8 Cylinder  I have been told on these cars the cam gear is fiber and if the gear fails the con rods can hit the cam lobe and break the block i believe this is true for 6 cylinder is it the same for the 8 cylinders ?
If this is true is there a alloy gear kit I think you would need a new crank gear as well are these  available and where would i get one 
Regards Ray Hudson

Comments

  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    Not true on the 8's  the engine just stops.  You can fit a later '41-47' pair of matched gears, preferably alloy cam gear.  Paul Schuster may have them, or try Dale Cooper.  
  • freddo
    freddo Member
    Thank you I will just leave it be
     It runs fine if it only comes to a halt with no damage I will not bother touching the cam cam gear 
    The motor is a little down but OK I would rather drive it a few more years then do a complete engine rebuild  and do the gears then 
    Thanks again  
  • BigSky
    BigSky Senior Contributor
    It may be worth cracking the timing cover off.  As Geoff will tell you there are a number of things which can start as little problems & ultimately cause other damage down the line if not fixed timely.  As an example, without a cam thrust washer in place not only can it run poorly but it can ruin your lifters.  Hopefully Geoff can add to this as I’m not familiar with the 34’s 8 cylinder engine.  
  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    Paradoxically, the missing thrust washer wil not make any difference to the way the engine runs, but yes, the lifters will have a wear pattern in them that is not central, and willhave to be refaced if worn (as in any engine from 1934-47  and to '52 8 cyl.)  the most improtant thing si to use a high Zinc oil to minimise wear in the cams and lifters.  
  • BigSky
    BigSky Senior Contributor
    I don’t know if the 34 engine is different than my 37 with reference to the thrust washer.  However if it is the same as my 37’s 6cyl engine then I will disagree with Geoff on “not making any difference” on how the car runs.  
    On my engine without the thrust washer in place the cam was moving back & forth as the engine ran, which changed the timing as the cam moved back & forth.
    You can see the timing mark jumping all over the place with the thrust washer missing in this video of my 37.
    https://youtube.com/shorts/cA6wP8Kw3Sg
  • Old Fogey UK
    Old Fogey UK Expert Adviser
    Geoff said:
    Not true on the 8's  the engine just stops.  You can fit a later '41-47' pair of matched gears, preferably alloy cam gear.  Paul Schuster may have them, or try Dale Cooper.  
    Geoff, as you know very well, I don't claim to be mechanically savvy and I've often wondered why 6 and 8 cylinder engines react differently to timing gear failure.
    Once again, please could you explain why for me ?
  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    Due to the longer stroke on the 6's David.   When  the crank and cam get out of sync the rods hit the cams.  Bit like a belt breaking on a modern  o.h.c. engine, where the pistons hit the valves.   Got your mail package, thanks.  
  • Old Fogey UK
    Old Fogey UK Expert Adviser
    Geoff said:
    Due to the longer stroke on the 6's David.   When  the crank and cam get out of sync the rods hit the cams.  Bit like a belt breaking on a modern  o.h.c. engine, where the pistons hit the valves.   Got your mail package, thanks.  
    Thanks, Geoff. Now I understand.
    I hope you find something of interest in the package.

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