cambria

I have been reviewing the WSM for how to determine acceptable sprocket ware and have not found anything. I have read here on the Renn about sprocket ware and have done several searches and have found nothing.
I need some help in determining what is acceptable and when the sprockets need to be replaced.
Thanks in advance for any help.

Jim_H

Picture would be worth a lot here. If they are shiney on the wear surface you most likely need to replace. Sharp edges on the teeth are a sure sign they need replacing.

Bill Ball

The cam sprockets are coated with hard anodizing that is kind of gray-green color. Once this wears off you are into softer aluminum gear metal. The aluminum gets polished shiny and starts fairly quickly to wear away, dishing out in the areas where the anodizing is gone and displaying sharpened edges.

So, what is acceptable? Ideally, all the anodization should be intact. SMALL spots of wear through shiny aluminum, if you plan on checking the gears regularly, may be OK. Any dishing/sharpening, and it is replacement time. You can argue about this.

I've seen gears on a car unchanged after 100K miles that were like new and gears that were worn and dished after 15K miles (my car). The major determinant is a properly adjusted and functioning belt tensioner. Overtightened tensioners wear the gears and belt. A tensioner that has lost all its internal oil or has not been rebuilt (cleaned and repacked inside and given a fresh end boot) will not properly compensate for block expansion as the engine warms up and will overtension the belt too.

The stock oil pump gear, at least through MY 89, is similar to the cam gears (anodized aluminum) and needs to be checked carefully too. The replacement gear is steel. The crank gear is steel, but can wear as well.

------
Edit after post - or what Jim said.