Who uses FE cam gear drives ?

[FUNFER2]

I'm wanting to talk about, who uses FE cam gear drives. I'm rebuilding my 428 & thinking about installing one from Milodon. How do you like them ? How noisy ? A friend hates ANY...gear drive..... says, "just a cheap blower sound, why would you want to hear that over the side pipes"? I admit, I do like the sound but, on a Cobra ? Don't know. Opinions please !
Thanks,
Kev

[Cobrafan1]

I've heard pros and cons re the Milodon, mostly related to quality although all with SBC and BBC, no FE's. It is better than others in its use of an idler gear instead of a four-gear-type like the Pete Jackson.

[FUNFER2]

I did look under search & found a few discussions about gear drives. Many....opinions, which is what I'm after anyway. I know people have had problems with the Pete Jackson type, of system. I just expect a name like Milodon & how they set-up the gears, machine, mount ect. to be in good quality but, you all know how that "name factor" goes ! It does look to be good quality though.

[decooney]

Tom Lucas is using gear drive on his 427 powered drag Mustang that he runs. I don't recall the specifics at this time, but I'm sure he'd have some info on it to share with you. As I recall, you really could not hear it over the open exhaust. Call Tom at (916) 339-0427 / FE Specialties.

[ted]

I've still have a Milodon gear drive on one of my Fe's but it's still there only because the engine was initially set up for it. It is quite though and has remained dependable over the years.

I've dyno'ed both this gear drive against a double roller chain with the camshaft being degreed in identically and the chain does still make more horsepower than the gear drive. Whereas the ignition timing with a gear drive remains constant throughout the rpm range, the ignition timing using the chain can be seen to start retarding after 3000 rpm (that's where my total ignition timing is all in) and will retard up to 4° at 6000 rpm. Timing comes right back in place at the lower rpm's.

The retard effect using the chain is due to chain elasticity where the chain actual stretches longer at higher rpm and comes back at the lower rpms. This is congruent to horsepower production and is in a sense variable cam timing.

My experience with the circle track engines is that they do like the gear drives over the long haul as the cam timing remains constant over the course of the season. The timing chain on the other hand tends to stretch over the course of the season and requires the ignition timing to be corrected in order to compensate while ignoring the fact that the camshaft is slowly retarding away from its optimum initial setup earlier in the season. Timing chains do not appear to like the constant up and down acceleration that's seen in this type of racing. Of course this is using roller valve spring pressures which puts an additional amount of force on the valve train not normally seen with engines using valve springs of much less pressure.

[Mr.Fixit]

A very well respected engine builder I know, will not warantee an engine with a gear driven cam. He'll put it in if you request, but he calls them junk and recommends a chain or a belt instead. I have never used them myself, so this is just repeating what i have been told by somebody who knows a hell of a lot more than I do.

[PatBuckley]

I have heard the same advice that MrFixit gives....and that if a gear drive is used it should be top of the line $1000 kind. The cheap ones suck.

[FUNFER2]

We also race, (360 winged sprints) and use a gear drive. Your correct when saying that the chain canot handle the stress of all out racing & timming is not a problem with them. I don't know if I would want one for the street ? On our sprint car, you really can't hear it but, the team that pits next to us, lease's a engine & man....his gear drive is LOUD & sounds like sh*! Either it's wore out & chatters or it's a very cheap drive. I'll see if I could send a pic of the sprint to one of you guys to put in my album here. My cameras pixle count is too large to post. I'm real proud of our team being rookies this year. We finished 21st out of 71 cars listed with 50 regulars at our home track. BIG....learning curve this year & will go for it next year ! 3/8 mile high bank dirt track, 700 hp, weighing around 1250 lbs, 110 mph......TURN LEFT ! NOTHING, like it ! I wont drive the cobra for a couple days after racing, it seems too slow. hehe!
Kev

[RICK LAKE]

funfer2 Kevin have you looked into the Danny bee belt drive kit. I don't know what the width of the belt is but they run big blocks with them and turn 9000 rpm in some motors maken 1000 hp I think there is two widths of belt. George Anderson has 1 on one of his motors he built. the price is high but the trade off is worth a couple of hp. The tensioner is spring loaded to keep the timing correct. I don't know the belt life on it. Average car is 60K, same system. Something to look into. Good luck with the left hand turn car. don't get runned over. Rick Lake

[FUNFER2]

hehe! ya, we came close last Sat. night of flipping. Everyone was racing for the last points night. An idiot drove over our right rear sending him into the wall &we escaped by doing a wheelie, like at 45 degrees, bending the front axle when we landed. Ran 3rd in the "B" then 9th in the "A". We run with the world of outlaws in two weeks & that's it for the season. Anyway, the belt drives are great & almost no harmonics but, the cost for me & being street driven, not really worth it, I'll check into it though. I do know of a way around this though, like the sprint car....GET SPONSERS !

[RICK LAKE]

Funfer2 Kevin The danny bee is going for about a grand. If you can find someone that gets a discount at Jegs or summit you can save a couple of bucks. You can set the cam timing in 10 minutes. A guy a work with just started back in dirt tracking at wall. I think Jesel may sell a kit too for the FE. Watch out for the kinslers and the other bad boys. Thats the big buck race and anything goes, of course it was an accident Yeah Right. Becareful Make it to the main, and don't burn the tires off in the prerace. Good luck Rick Lake. I had the cobra sideways, didn't like the feeling