1987, Timing gears

[Dav]

The head gasket blew on my '88 2.9. A few years ago I bought a parts motor from a '89 because it has the better heads.
Being just about broke, I can't afford to rebuild the spare motor or have a valve job done on the heads.
Many, and I do mean many, years ago I put a '76 2.8 in a Toyota truck. I had a 74 2.6 also, both from Capri's. The 76 had a plastic timing gear and the 74 had a metal one, maybe aluminum.
My neighbor had a 2.8 in something and had to pay a school kid to reach into the front of the oil pan to get the pieces of the plastic gear out when his disintegrated. I swapped the plastic out for metal and got approximately 250k out of the truck before it rusted out. Gotta love New England winters.
I have stumbled onto a 87 2.9 motor cheaper and faster to get into the truck than doing the valve job. (I think). While the motor is on the hoist I figured I'd changed seals and gaskets that need it and see about timing.
Looking at O'Reilly's parts, I can't tell if the cam gear is plastic or steel. Did they stop making the plastic gear? (I hope).

 

[bcschief]

2.8 engines have timing gears, 2.9 has timing chains and gears.

 

[gaz]

@Dav
If you can scrounge it up, last valve job I paid for on a Ford 60° V6 was $250, including parts. It resulted in new valve guides, reground seats, new seals; combined with a proper follow-up hydraulic lifter preload adjustment (which I performed), I had a big !!

Cloyes is my go-to timing set.

 

[Dav]

I am SO glad you commented on the 2.8 gears. I thought I was losing it. I have this memory of gears but, thinking the 2.8 and 2.9 to be the same except for fuel injection, convinced myself I was mistaken. I'm waiting for my local machine shop to open to get a price for a valve job. (Hoping they aren't on a cruise ship like they do frequently). But this begs the question; Can the 2.8 gears be fitted to the 2.9 without modification?

 

[19Walt93]

All 2.8's came with nylon cam gears and I suspect 2.6's did also. The 2.8 gears would last around 90k then the teeth would strip off and land in the pan. We always removed the pans to make sure we got all the pieces out. We'd get Napa replacements because they were aluminum and the OEM gears were an aluminum hub with nylon gears. Most V8's also had nylon cam gear teeth and "silent" chains that lasted 60k or so- except for 460's and Pontiac V8's that could barely go 40k. We always installed metal replacements and no customers ever complained about extra noise.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I am SO glad you commented on the 2.8 gears. I thought I was losing it. I have this memory of gears but, thinking the 2.8 and 2.9 to be the same except for fuel injection, convinced myself I was mistaken. I'm waiting for my local machine shop to open to get a price for a valve job. (Hoping they aren't on a cruise ship like they do frequently). But this begs the question; Can the 2.8 gears be fitted to the 2.9 without modification?

The issue with mix matching things like that is the camshafts spin in opposite directions when you have timing gears like the 2.8 and a chain like the 2.9.

More popular timing chain engines have aftermarket timing gear options but they have idler gears to keep the camshafts spinning the correct direction. They sound horrible and I think in general are kind of dying out so I doubt anyone makes them for the 2.9.

2.8

302 timing chain (2.9 similar, couldn't find a good pic)

Ford 302 timing gear conversion

 

[Dav]

My local machine shop is; $170 for the valve job and another $100 to plane the heads. I will deliver the heads tomorrow before they go on vacation. This works great for me because I'm going to a tractor show for the next week. Until I open up the motor in the truck I won't know how far into this I will go.
Meanwhile, I am hoping someone who knows for a fact jumps in to let me know if the chain can be replaced with the gears and, if so, does the cover also need to be replaced?

 

[Dav]

While I was typing, you were posting (I type real slow, 1 finger). Hadn't thought about rotation. So it's chain for sure. Thanks.