I'm looking for a gear or cog or something for a keychain ornament thing. I did a look over at ebay and all the gears are either really big or have shoulders on them (mostly the distributor gears had them). The other gears I saw were for oil pumps. I don't like the spur-cut pump gears, but I don't really prefer the gerotor gears either. I'd prefer more vintage parts. I saw a pinion gear for a Model T which was really cool, but I am just not a huge fan of Ford's. (Although the Ford logo stamped into the gear was a really cool touch) I'll have to also look into power steering pump gears as well.

I'm not married to the use of GM parts, or car parts for that matter. I'm just looking for something that doesn't look like it took no time at all to machine and is small enough to easilly fit in your pocket on a keychain. Although I'll probably settle on a gerotor since they are small and aren't cut like spurs.

Also, I found a great encyclopedia of jargon I'm sure the noobs will be interested in: http://www.motorera.com/dictionary/INDEX.HTM

I'm looking for a gear or cog or something for a keychain ornament thing. I did a look over at ebay and all the gears are either really big or have shoulders on them (mostly the distributor gears had them). The other gears I saw were for oil pumps. I don't like the spur-cut pump gears, but I don't really prefer the gerotor gears either. I'd prefer more vintage parts. I saw a pinion gear for a Model T which was really cool, but I am just not a huge fan of Ford's. (Although the Ford logo stamped into the gear was a really cool touch) I'll have to also look into power steering pump gears as well.

I'm not married to the use of GM parts, or car parts for that matter. I'm just looking for something that doesn't look like it took no time at all to machine and is small enough to easilly fit in your pocket on a keychain. Although I'll probably settle on a gerotor since they are small and aren't cut like spurs.

Also, I found a great encyclopedia of jargon I'm sure the noobs will be interested in: http://www.motorera.com/dictionary/INDEX.HTM

could you just go into some kind of junkyard and pull shit apart?

An aviation-sourced gear would be cool.

Why gear? Get a mini headgasket of your car! Here's a VR6 one.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j170/strictly_dubs/keychain.jpg

try pulling apart some window motors.
May be a wiper motor.Go to a thrift shop and find an old clock and take it apart.

Old mechanical timer switches had some small but beefy gears in them. So did this old cutaway outboard motor display i got from a marine store dumpster. (it was acutally the whole outboard motors drive assembly minus the engine that was belt driven by an electric motor and actually worked even though most of the casing was cut away to show the interior workings) So if you can find an old (60's or earlier) 5hp or less outboard in a junkyard it may be a goldmine of gears inside.

I disassembled a power steering pump off a Regal and got the compression housing and rotor like this:
http://www.off-roadweb.com/tech/0711or_directional_fluid_power_steering_tech/photo_12.html

No luck for gerotors, since they seem to only be available for foreign cars (crapshoot) and low profile oil pumps. The rotor seems to have a lot of pitting on the compresion face, but the compression housing seems to be in good condition and has extremely sharp edges. :eek: I can use it as a paperweight as soon as I get the oil off of it.

Given that I want to use the rotor as the ornament, how do you suppose I can attach it to a keyring or a small chain? (Where would I find such a chain as well?) I suppose I could drill and tap between the vanes (using the vanes to make sure the rotor stays level in the vise since it has 10 slots ;)) and use a Torx or hex screw with a large head and drill a hole large enough for a ring. I can use Loctite to make sure the screw stays in.

Not the best solution, perhaps...

little tiny gears in a starter :P

Tear apart an old air ratchet and use the planetary pinion gears.

I've got a Mopar 7.25" ring gear you can have.

You could find a trashed nitro rc engine or chainsaw engine and make the piston and connecting rod into a keychain. I know you want to use a gear, but just sayin'.