Remove Vibration Dampener?

bob ward

If the cam to distributor gears are good all that's left is the internals of the distributor. e.g. worn bushes, looseness in the advance retard mechanism.

35 Terraplane

A friend who was working on his 32 T was having an issue with the timing OR lack of being able to set the timing.  Upon removal of the distributor he found the teeth on the gear were worn to a fine point.  Could see the gear on the cam which looked to be in good condition.  Luckily he had another exact spare distributor.  The teeth on the gear looked very good with little to no wear. Once installed she purred like a kitten.

BigSky

I had a retired SAE mechanic & Hudson expert look at it but he didn’t take it apart, just felt the shaft for play. I suppose that’s messed up too.  Here’s the image from a few months ago when it was out.

Geoff

Gear looks fine.  you need to check the advance springs, pegs, slots, points pivot, contacts. 

BigSky

A good friend sent me a replacement OEM harmonic balancer and unfortunately it broke in shipping.  However, I compared the one I took off and the one sent, 13.2lbs vs OEM at 12.2lbs.  One can definitely see an overall size difference as well.  My questions;  1) are the engines internally balanced?  I believe they are but I’m not 100% sure.  2) would the weight difference of the harmonic balancer effect the engine? 3) does anyone other than Wildrick’s sell the btonze cam thrust washer?  I’ve called multiple times & can’t get the basic question answered, “does the cam thrust washer fit both the 6 cylinder as well as the 8 cylinder?

Geoff

Yes, thrust washer fits all models. I would use the original dampener.  All Hudson engines were dynamically balanced. 

bob ward

You can think of the splasher 6 and 8 as pretty much the same engine with different numbers of cylinders. Going forward from the front of the block everything is interchangeable, front plate, timing gears & cover, thrust washer, pulley, pulley spacer.

BigSky

I need to locate the bushing / sleeve that the timing cover seal rides on anyone know where I can find it or can I just flip mine backwards?  How much play should there be With this sleeve against the crank?  I’m a little worried it maybe worn too much on the inside to flip it.    

Geoff

It is held firmly in place by the crank dog, so just turn it round to get extra life.  otherwise buy a new one from Dale Cooper. 

barrysweet52

Try and use sealant to stop any oil or water leaks where bolts go thru anywhere on the motor/gearbox/diff. Its been a long journey for you with all the repairs but the enjoyment at the end will be worth it. Also others have also learnt a lot because of your pain

BigSky

So as I looked at the cam head I was wondering how much, if any, I could move the cam forward with just a small prying of the head against the block?  Now the distributor & oil pump are still in place & not removed as are all the valves, springs & lifters.  

So I very gently pry’d and with only very gentle pressure, like a pound was all, the cam head moved forward a lot!  I slipped a 1/8” thick washer behind the head with room to spare.  So is the cam supposed to be able to do this?  Is this a sign of some kinda problem which needs fixing?  Once the cam thrust washer is in place (& everything back together) at only 1/16” thick, what is going to keep the cam from pushing forward & bounce forward & back in the 1/16+” of space I’ve just found?

Geoff

The peg that is sitting in  the nose of the cam should have a strong spring behind it, and the peg bears on a thrust pad on the timing cover.   The angle of the gears ensures that the cam will be forced back against the  thrust washer during use.