OK, so the I busted off the 327 in the Produce truck and had a weird noise. This was a flag so I drained the oil through a paint filter and found traces of metal. Not huge amounts but enough for me to pull the motor. I tore it down and didn't find anything major, so I pulled my newest experiment, a Howards retrofit hydraulic roller cam. I bought the good Milodon roller cam timing cover, the nylon button etc. They were suggesting .0015" end play. I pulled the cam and there is a shiny spot on the rear plug. I thought I had it pretty close, but apparently not. On the race car, we just remove the front part of the cover and measure it on the spud, but this is a stamped steel cover. Help a brother out. Thanks Root
http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/49161-set-roller-cam-endplay/\ http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/148-0307-converting-hydraulic-roller-cam/ http://www.compcams.com/catalog/COMP2012/pdf/COMP_Catalog_2012_408.pdf Here's what will happen if not rectified. I've seen water pumps with a flange that allows a bolt with jamb nut to be buttoned up against front cover to prevent the cam pushing forward against the timing cover and sending the timing out.
Last time I researched this was a few years back but I found an Aluminum timing cover with an access plate that allowed you to shim a cam button to get the correct clearance and end play. I think it required a long water pump. My current 400 SBC is built on a Dart block that has the holes in the valley for stock Chevy roller cams and the thrust plate that holds the cam in place behind the cam gear.
The end float on the cam has nothing to do with the cam hitting your rear cam plug, looks like it was installed in too far as the cam will never hit it if it is in the right place in the block DND
There are 2 different cam buttons, depending on the timing cover you use. One cover is plain, the other has that 'peace' symbol. Moroso #60460 is for the early 'ribbed' cover; #60461 is for late plain cover.
The cam plug was installed too deep? http://speedtalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=32533 Interesting comment by a mAchINe shop that SBC cams are supposed to rub against the plug. A buddy succeeded in knocking the cam tunnel plug out when he put a new timing chain in his girlfriend's Catalina with the engine in the car. Big hassle to fix.
Dunno about hydraulic rollers but lots of experience with mechanical roller cams, the lobes are ground to drive the cam to the front of the engine and timing gear stops against the cam button. I suspect hydr rollers are the same. If the cam was touching the rear freezeplug then you might have used a big block chevy cam button, they look the same and will fit but are longer. Edited: to be clear, the cam is not supposed to touch the rear plug.
Yes, the cam plug was too deep. When I set the endplay, it was correct. I assumed it walked back, but in essence, it was touching from the word go. It made a nice pretty swirly pattern and caused me a lot of unnecessary work. Lesson learned.
Root That is why all that kind of stuff needs to be checked before it ever gets put together or turned over Use a dial indicator from the valley to the back side of your cam gear to check the end float DND
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