gear set markings

[JonE]

with people mentioning looking for gear sets after damage, I wondered what the range of markings are. 

I have big one with a star on but no other numbers, and a little one with a zero. Does that mean they are matched?

And what would happen if one used those on a car of which a different set came off? Is the idea that you must find a matched set to what comes off?

[Colin Wilks]

In my recent search for a sports engine camshaft gear I had a chat with Vince Leek, who had had some timing gears manufactured in the early 2000s. He told me they were all the same spec, taking no account of the differing centres between the crankshaft and the camshaft, and that he got no complaints. He said the backlash he went for was .004”, achieving this by shimming the dynamo housing and selecting the crankshaft gear to suit.

The timing marks on my gears are “0 0” on the camshaft gear and “0” on the crankshaft gear.

[Nick Lettington]

Having ad no interest whatsoever in this topic, I decided to see how the gears meshed on the engine I have been reviving to power the speedex until I find a stash to get a nice engine for it. They were pretty sloppy before I sorted the camshaft end float, so I was surprised to find they are very tight now. This, I read, is not good... On reassembly, the faces of both gears are flush, so I didn't expect to have to take anything off the back of the crank one. 

Do any of you clever folk know if doing so would solve the tightness or should I too be looking for new gears?

[AustinWood]

I think it's just a matter of selecting the crankshaft gear