Timing Cover Alignment Tool
Forum rules
If you need help logging in, or have question about how something works, use the Support forum located here Support Forum
Complete set of Forum Rules Forum Rules
If you need help logging in, or have question about how something works, use the Support forum located here Support Forum
Complete set of Forum Rules Forum Rules
-
Topic author - Posts: 423
- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 11:21 am
- First Name: Brent
- Last Name: Terry
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1909 Tourabout, 1914 Runabout, 1915 Touring, 1916 Speedster, 1925 Speedster, 1926 Hack
- Location: Eastern Tennessee
- Board Member Since: 1999
- Contact:
Timing Cover Alignment Tool
Does/Are any vendors selling Bob's style of alignment tool? If so, who is selling them??
TIA
TIA
-
- Posts: 24
- Joined: Sat Nov 19, 2022 8:50 am
- First Name: Derek
- Last Name: Dudgeon
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1927 Coupe
- Location: Baltimore, MD
- Board Member Since: 2022
Re: Timing Cover Alignment Tool
Ebay seller "burnzoil" makes and sells them. He has also sold in the classifieds here, but it has been a while and I forget his username.
-
- Posts: 7235
- Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 9:37 pm
- First Name: Steve
- Last Name: Jelf
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1923 touring and a few projects
- Location: Parkerfield, Kansas
- Board Member Since: 2007
- Contact:
Re: Timing Cover Alignment Tool
No idea, but I think any decent machine shop could make a simple alignment tool. Picture a round piece of metal exactly the diameter of a timer cover, with a hole exactly in the center that slips onto the end of the cam shaft.
The inevitable often happens.
1915 Runabout
1923 Touring
1915 Runabout
1923 Touring
-
- Posts: 1863
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 8:20 pm
- First Name: Robert
- Last Name: Jablonski
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Runabout
- Location: New Jersey
- MTFCA Life Member: YES
- Board Member Since: 1999
Re: Timing Cover Alignment Tool
Lang's ran out of stock tools ????
-
- Posts: 5009
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 7:31 pm
- First Name: Dan
- Last Name: Hatch
- Location: Alabama
Re: Timing Cover Alignment Tool
K R Wilson sold them
-
- Posts: 786
- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 10:06 pm
- First Name: Ed
- Last Name: Fuller
- Location: NJ
- Board Member Since: 2012
Re: Timing Cover Alignment Tool
The late Bob Scherzer reproduced the KR Wilson tool.
-
- Posts: 1942
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:23 am
- First Name: Rich
- Last Name: Bingham
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1913 runabout
- Location: Blackfoot, Idaho
-
- Posts: 628
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:27 pm
- First Name: BOB
- Last Name: CASCISA
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1916 TOURING
- Location: POULSBO, WA
Re: Timing Cover Alignment Tool
Link to eBay Seller.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266276801263?i ... R6b3z83KZQ
Respectfully Submitted,
Be_Zero_Be
I drive a Model T ... Microseconds don't matter
For every Absolute Model T Fact there are at least three exceptions.
Be_Zero_Be
I drive a Model T ... Microseconds don't matter

For every Absolute Model T Fact there are at least three exceptions.
-
Topic author - Posts: 423
- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 11:21 am
- First Name: Brent
- Last Name: Terry
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1909 Tourabout, 1914 Runabout, 1915 Touring, 1916 Speedster, 1925 Speedster, 1926 Hack
- Location: Eastern Tennessee
- Board Member Since: 1999
- Contact:
Re: Timing Cover Alignment Tool
Thanks Steve. I have two of the aluminum ones that index on the cam seal flange but I am finding those are hit/miss on whether they index correctly. I had a large one from years ago that Bob had made but it appears it is now MIA. I may just machine a piece of aluminum that will index off of that little one and the larger ring will slide over the small one.Steve Jelf wrote: ↑Sun Apr 20, 2025 10:24 amNo idea, but I think any decent machine shop could make a simple alignment tool. Picture a round piece of metal exactly the diameter of a timer cover, with a hole exactly in the center that slips onto the end of the cam shaft.
Thanks everyone.
-
- Posts: 5370
- Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2019 1:57 pm
- First Name: Mark
- Last Name: Gregush
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1925 cutdown PU, 1948 F2 Ford flat head 6 pickup 3 speed
- Location: Portland Or
- Board Member Since: 1999
Re: Timing Cover Alignment Tool
Those are the ones Langs sells that used the seal area. My preference would be the KRW style. I too was going to suggest Gene French. Pretty sure he makes the style that indexes off the machined recess the timer fits into.BRENT in 10-uh-C wrote: ↑Sun Apr 20, 2025 7:35 pmThanks Steve. I have two of the aluminum ones that index on the cam seal flange but I am finding those are hit/miss on whether they index correctly. I had a large one from years ago that Bob had made but it appears it is now MIA. I may just machine a piece of aluminum that will index off of that little one and the larger ring will slide over the small one.Steve Jelf wrote: ↑Sun Apr 20, 2025 10:24 amNo idea, but I think any decent machine shop could make a simple alignment tool. Picture a round piece of metal exactly the diameter of a timer cover, with a hole exactly in the center that slips onto the end of the cam shaft.
Thanks everyone.
I know the voices aren't real but damn they have some good ideas!
1925 Cut down pickup
1948 Ford F2 pickup

1925 Cut down pickup
1948 Ford F2 pickup
-
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2025 8:11 pm
- First Name: Kurt
- Last Name: Maurer
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1923 Runabout
- Location: Seguin, Texas
Re: Timing Cover Alignment Tool
How necessary are these tools? What happens if you replace a timing gear without one?
-
- Posts: 5170
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:18 pm
- First Name: Steve
- Last Name: Tomaso
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1914 Touring, 1919 Centerdoor, 1924 TT C-Cab Express, 1925 Racer
- Location: Longbranch, WA
- Board Member Since: 2001
Re: Timing Cover Alignment Tool
You have a very good chance of either "roller bounce" or in the case of distributor gear mesh, a "not good" scenario ! The only one that actually centers the timing cover IS the large diameter tool !
-
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2025 8:11 pm
- First Name: Kurt
- Last Name: Maurer
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1923 Runabout
- Location: Seguin, Texas
Re: Timing Cover Alignment Tool
Thanks Steve, anyone else? I ask because I just changed the timing gear on my '23 Runabout without the centering tool 'cuz I didn't have one. The car's mostly original, sporting a New Day timer. My buddy put his together without the tool a while back and his car runs great, is why I went ahead instead of ordering a tool and waiting a week to get my car back on the road. He had a roller, and then switched to a flapper type of timer, if I have the terms anywhere near correct or at least understandable.
-
- Posts: 1942
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:23 am
- First Name: Rich
- Last Name: Bingham
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1913 runabout
- Location: Blackfoot, Idaho
Re: Timing Cover Alignment Tool
Kurt, I may be wrong about this, but I think the configuration of the New Day is such that it “forgives” the timing cover being less than perfectly centered over the camshaft.
At least that was my experience 63 years ago, when, as a dumb kid I found I couldn’t keep the factory roller timer operating properly - switching to a New Day, problem solved ! At the time, I didn’t know the timing cover had to be centered over the camshaft with a special tool.
At least that was my experience 63 years ago, when, as a dumb kid I found I couldn’t keep the factory roller timer operating properly - switching to a New Day, problem solved ! At the time, I didn’t know the timing cover had to be centered over the camshaft with a special tool.
"Get a horse !"
-
- Posts: 7235
- Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 9:37 pm
- First Name: Steve
- Last Name: Jelf
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1923 touring and a few projects
- Location: Parkerfield, Kansas
- Board Member Since: 2007
- Contact:
Re: Timing Cover Alignment Tool
I agree that the design of the New Day should make it immune to the slight cover misalignment that sometimes means trouble for a roller timer. I've used New Day for many years, and my lack of a centering tool has not been a problem. Should we all have one? Sure. Better safe than sorry.
The inevitable often happens.
1915 Runabout
1923 Touring
1915 Runabout
1923 Touring
-
- Posts: 5370
- Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2019 1:57 pm
- First Name: Mark
- Last Name: Gregush
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1925 cutdown PU, 1948 F2 Ford flat head 6 pickup 3 speed
- Location: Portland Or
- Board Member Since: 1999
Re: Timing Cover Alignment Tool
I know the voices aren't real but damn they have some good ideas!
1925 Cut down pickup
1948 Ford F2 pickup

1925 Cut down pickup
1948 Ford F2 pickup
-
- Posts: 1001
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:28 pm
- First Name: James
- Last Name: Bartsch
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: '26 Coupe
- Location: Dryden, NY 13053
- MTFCA Life Member: YES
Re: Timing Cover Alignment Tool
I made one from an original Ford timer by turning a block of maple to a moderate press fit in the case with original contact ring removed, and bored a hole to fit camshaft. Used it once with good result, fwiw. jb