TO35 Dist/Cam

glencam

New User
Hi all, nice place here! I have just acquired a TO35 (late 1950's) and have a few issues with it. The one in particular is with the distributor shaft turns ..as in it does not seem to be meshing with the camshaft gear snugly? I can turn(rotate) the dist shaft a fair amount (engine off..dist cap removed) causing the base timing to be out I would say some 40 degrees or more! And that's if it's not moving/turning back and forth advance/retard while the engine is running..causing I'm sure all the back firing and poor running plus loud backfires! Its as if the dist gear has worn and is too small to mesh up properly with the camshaft gear.

thoughts?
 
I think what has happened is the springs are broken on the centrifugal advance.
Without the springs to return it, it will just flop back and forth, and it will effect the timing.

The other thing it could be is the pin that holds the gear to the shaft could be worn, or the hole it goes in is wallowed, letting the gear turn on the shaft.

Whatever it is, the problem needs to be corrected. If there is a problem with the gear, you don't want to let it go until the cam gear is damaged.
 
Hey thanks for the quick reply...the advance springs are ok it's definitely not meshing with the cam gear...as if dist. Is too far away...the cam must have some kind of thrust plate or something though i can't tell could the cam walk back and forth somehow from wear? Pin is ok as well holding gear on shaft.....I can hold gear and other than feeling the advance springs back the shaft is should... problem I'm sure lies with the clashing of the two gears...thanks for your thoughts
 
Seems I recall there was a distributor gear size change in the later model Continentals.

Someone had that problem, put the wrong distributor in, think it broke the cam gear. The newer gear is smaller, would do what you are describing but don't know if it would run at all.
 
Did some research, the Z145 engine uses a different cam and dist gear. The 145 dist gear has 10 teeth, the Z134 and other smaller engines use a 9 tooth.

It would never run this way, would destroy both gears just by cranking.

I'm at a loss as to what could be causing your problem. There is a cam thrust washer, but you couldn't move the cam back and forth with just hand pressure on the distributor.

Do the gears appear to be worn or strange wear patterns? Excess side play in the shaft?
 
thanks for the replies! OK so on further investigation the cam gear (for the dist) appears to be rather sharp in feeling...mind you I can only just feel the top of the gear since it's down aprox 3-3.5 inches in the block. The gear on the end of the dist. looks as good and smooth as it did when it was made. No wear on the dist gear at all. I think I am into pulling the cam next?

thanks again for your thoughts!
 
So, how is the rest of the engine?

Getting the cam out is a real bear with the engine in the tractor! The lifters have to be held up from the bottom as the cam is pulled and reinstalled.
 
I am going to split tractor and roll engine upside down for sure...too much of a pain to work on my back to do a job like that. I will update this thread as I go along

thanks
 
tractor split...cam taken out ..the gear on the cam that drives the dist. worn bad. New cam/gaskets/etc ordered should be back up and running for early next week...just in time for snow!
 
Great I have the new cam and gaskets now. Popped the cam in and the dist gear lash is back to how it should be. My next question is what the heck are these packages of string in the gasket kit? Not rope seals (and I don't have them) there are 3 packages of string each package has 3 lengths of fine string in it. I would say they are 2' long and braided..are they extra shoe laces? lol

I think i may need a picture of the engine gaskets.

any insight would be appreciated
 
My guess is the string is the packing for the rear main cap grooves, used to push the string in along with permatex sealer at the dealer I worked for years ago. Now I just make sure the cap sides and block are clean and squirt in some high temp silicone until it's full.
 

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