Cam button / stock timing chain cover

[DC Dart]

Im going to look into the Milidon gear drive. Have not heard or thought about that to keep the cam from going forward. Likely another step away from budget build. LOL

 

[Rat Bastid]

Im going to look into the Milidon gear drive. Have not heard or thought about that to keep the cam from going forward. Likely another step away from budget build. LOL

Yup, be ready for serious sticker shock. But 10 years down the road it will seem like cheap money. And your cam timing will be the same as it was the day you timed it.

 

[Carnut68]

WTF? A small block has a cam retaining plate. It can’t move forward. A big block doesn’t. It relies on cam lobe taper to keep the cam centered in the block.

Going to a roller eliminates that taper and you have to keep the cam from moving forward in the block.

Sound familiar? Same thing on a cheap assed SBC.

Buy a Milodon gear drive and be done with all that junk. Buy once, cry once.

Has been brought up before wether the button is necessary or not. Many posts later the verdict seemed to be it was necessary. Seems to be a very small portion of people that go without.
The rollers do not have the shape of the lifter or cam lobe to to keep the cam from going forward.
I am going with the aluminum cover. If I do not go that route modification of the stock cover is not that big of a deal.

How will the cam get passed oil pump gear and distributor? Not arguing, just asking. You learn something new everyday.

 

[Car Nut]

Buy a Milodon gear drive and be done with all that junk. Buy once, cry once.

Are you talking about this?

 

[mopowers]

Yup, be ready for serious sticker shock. But 10 years down the road it will seem like cheap money. And your cam timing will be the same as it was the day you timed it.

Does anyone besides Milodon make a big block gear drive that's worth a ****, or is Milodon basically the only one out there worth buying?

 

[Oldiron440]

I’ve always used the stock covers with Cloyds buttons and never had a problem. Most of the movement on a big block mopar cam is thrust to the rear of the block on acceleration then just at deceleration the cam moves forward, this is opposite of the sbc. The thrust comes from the cam turning the oi pump drive.

 

[Rat Bastid]

Does anyone besides Milodon make a big block gear drive that's worth a ****, or is Milodon basically the only one out there worth buying?

There are more than Milodon making gear drives for BBM’s. I think RCD makes one. Keith Black makes one, or did.

Any fixed idler, 3 gear drive is a good gear drive.

 

[Rat Bastid]

Are you talking about this?

View attachment 1716021117

Milodon 13000 Milodon Gear Drive Assemblies | Summit Racing

This is what I‘m talking about.

 

[Car Nut]

Milodon 13000 Milodon Gear Drive Assemblies | Summit Racing

This is what I‘m talking about.

Thanks. Good idea.

 

[pittsburghracer]

Milidon can’t even make an oil pan right that they have made for 30 years. I would hate to see what they could do with a gear drive. No thanks!!!

 

[Rat Bastid]

Milidon can’t even make an oil pan right that they have made for 30 years. I would hate to see what they could do with a gear drive. No thanks!!!

Their gear drives are bullet proof.

 

[LO23M8B]

Many people reinforce and use the stock timing cover, I did once, and then switched to this............

AREngineering timing cover

It is the only cover I would use now in a MOPAR big block roller cam application.

Got a pic?

 

[pittsburghracer]

Their gear drives are bullet proof.

So were their oil pans for years.

 

[Rat Bastid]

So were their oil pans for years.

True, but I’ve seen relatively new gear drives and they look nice. Even if they were half assed they would be 10 times better than the best chain drive there ever was.

 

[pittsburghracer]

True, but I’ve seen relatively new gear drives and they look nice. Even if they were half assed they would be 10 times better than the best chain drive there ever was.

And there our opinions differ which is fine and good for the sport. Going on 48 years of using good timing chains and as happy as can be. My last 422 ran the same et after five years of abuse. I have kicked around the idea of a belt drive but so far price has gotten me over it.

 

[Rat Bastid]

And there our opinions differ which is fine and good for the sport. Going on 48 years of using good timing chains and as happy as can be. My last 422 ran the same et after five years of abuse. I have kicked around the idea of a belt drive but so far price has gotten me over it.

The price for a belt or gear drive is a killer. For some, it’s hard to justify 800 bucks for a gear drive when a chain is what? $120.00??

Or $1300.00 for a belt drive. Dayum. That’s big block prices.

 

[IQ52]

Got a pic?

That is the reason I posted the link. There are 6 pictures there.

 

[DC Dart]

With a timing chain you have a button or thrust bearing to keep the cam from going forward. What are the thoughts of the timing chain sets with the thrust bearings on the block side. Or is the oil wedge between the two surfaces sufficient?

 

[pittsburghracer]

With a timing chain you have a button or thrust bearing to keep the cam from going forward. What are the thoughts of the timing chain sets with the thrust bearings on the block side. Or is the oil wedge between the two surfaces sufficient?

I think it’s easy to overthink and over engineer some of these builds

 

[kbr577]

With a timing chain you have a button or thrust bearing to keep the cam from going forward. What are the thoughts of the timing chain sets with the thrust bearings on the block side. Or is the oil wedge between the two surfaces sufficient?

I think you can take it or leave it. On a regular street car, with a small hydraulic cam and low spring pressure, I would go with just a non-Torrington bearing, Higher spring pressures I would use one.