M Farmall with busted camshaft gear question

I purchased this tractor knowing the camshaft gear is broke. I have read that the older camshaft gears were weak when using a LH pump. I'm thinking I would like to get the engine running again versus parting it out. I should be able to find a used upgraded camshaft gear.

I'm not real technically skilled on tolerance/fit stuff. With that being said. Does this just require to pullout the broken gear and replace it? I'm thinking it's not that simple to do it right. I have no immediate need for the engine so it most likely be sold but I'd learn something in the process with the repair.

I would greatly appreciate your thoughts on this.

Dave
 
I've replaced busted cam gears on my Super M and on a buddy's 400. Not a terribly difficult job but requires removal of the entire front end. A hoist or shop crane is very helpful. Quick overview:

- Chock the rear wheels and set the brakes. Jack the front end and support from the bottom of the clutch housing so the front wheels are an inch or so off the ground

- Drain the cooling system. Disconnect the steering shaft.

- Loosen the frame rail motor mount bolts a few turns then remove the entire front end (bolster, front wheels, radiator) as an unit

- Remove the large nut from the front of the crankshaft (2-1/2" socket req'd!). Now pull the pulley from the crank - it will USUALLY slide off easily by hand

- Remove the front cover to expose the timing gear train. You can now R/R gear.

Tip: Be sure to correctly align the timing marks on the crankshaft, cam and distributor gears. And I recommend using a new keeper under the camshaft nut; also applying Loctite to the threads. (More than a few cam gear failures have been because the nut loosened/fell off and trashed the gear).
 
You can get new gears as a set , now don't ask me what the part Number is or who the MFG. is as it has been a good while since i did one , but i also had to replace the cam as the key way was whipped out . The gear set came from my engine parts jobber supply , the cam was and after market and was not totally happy with it as there was a slight loss of Hp and loss of bottom end lugging power . Should have just welded up the old key way reground and re cut the key way . Usually the broken cam get is caused by the pressure relief sticking and bottoming up a cylinder or the cam nut backs off and then things get ugly fast. More then likely you will need to replace more then just the cam gear.
 
This site has the timing gear see the link. I?m sure
they have gaskets as well. You maybe are looking
for used to keep the cost down. Probably be hard
to get 2-$300 dollars out of a used engine if you can
buy a running tractor for not much over $500. Good
luck!
YT parts M timing gear
 

Wow! Thanks for all the replies and excellent info provided. I'm going to call Steels wheels for parts to see if it's reasonably priced to do the repair.

Thanks again for the expert advise.

Dave
 

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