Cam Retaining Plate Bolt

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65 Dartman

1 of None 65 Dart Sedan Delivery
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Just out of curiosity what size is the hole in the camshaft retaining plate bolt
 
That sounds like the size if the bolt. I need to rephrase my question - what size is the hole in the one bolt used for oiling purposes
 
Leave the bolt out. Usually I only use 2 bolts upper drivers or left, and the lower passenger or right. Here is a picture of the bolts in the plate. First picture is the old way not recommended anymore. The second picture is the new way with the dripper installed. It will drain oil better without the bolt with the hole. . Not all plates have the notch in them pictured in the top plate of the second picture. This notch helps oil the cam face. Something you may want to consider doing

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DSCN0942.jpg
 

Leave the bolt out. Usually I only use 2 bolts upper drivers or left, and the lower passenger or right. Here is a picture of the bolts in the plate. First picture is the old way not recommended anymore. The second picture is the new way with the dripper installed. It will drain oil better without the bolt with the hole. . Not all plates have the notch in them pictured in the top plate of the second picture. This notch helps oil the cam face. Something you may want to consider doing

View attachment 1716370743

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Thanks for the info and pictures. Any idea of what gauge metal the dripper is? I’ve got lots of 20 gauge but that’s probably overkill
 
The bolt with the oil hole is 5/16-18 x 5/8, grade 8, with a 1/8 hole drilled on centerish. The other 3 just don't have the drip hole.
 
The bolt with the hole in it doesn’t do a damn thing. It’s a colossal waste of time.

Drill a .040ish hole in the cam plate where it covers the oil gallery and screw in regular bolts and forget it.

Bolts with holes, drip tabs, slingers and **** like that were used to try and get the timing set to make it past warranty.

Full pressure oil to the timing set is what you want.
 
The bolt with the hole in it doesn’t do a damn thing. It’s a colossal waste of time.

Drill a .040ish hole in the cam plate where it covers the oil gallery and screw in regular bolts and forget it.

Bolts with holes, drip tabs, slingers and **** like that were used to try and get the timing set to make it past warranty.

Full pressure oil to the timing set is what you want.

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A 1/64" hole get's plenty of oil on the chain.
 
Tensioners were a fix for the cheap chains and short cam tunnel to crank line bore issues. The manufacture was using them so the chain didn't rattle against the cover. A good true roller does not need a tensioner. A tensioner only takes up the slack of the loose or stretched chain.They were installed at the dealer in 1997 on engines that came in with a rattle for warranty work. with short cam tunnels. They installed one on my 1997 Dakota 6 cyl..

It does not prevent the cam timing from changing. A stretched chain is still stretched on the pull side no matter how much slack you take out.

Ryan at Shady Dell had a tensioner on engines that he screwed up the line bores on. Using it with the true rollers the chain wore into the guides and chewed them up. he could have just bought a chain set for that application.

The tensioners were designed for smooth silent chains only. Sharp edges of true rollers eat them up. Sure after the chain wears to the roller they ride on the roller but where did all the plastic go before that occurs.

This would be bad info for a sticky. All good machine shops throw them in the garbage. Until you buy the tensioner and then the silent chain you have most of the money to just get a good true roller Roll Master or Cloyes. They come in different sizes for your crank to cam separation. Your engine builder will determine what you need.

The correct chain shouldn't have any slack at all. 8 years at some very hard pulls and RPM's mine was like the day it was installed. Do it once do it right. To me the tensioner just looks like more to fail internally.

Do you all know why the holes are on one side of the diameter of the light weight sprocket?

100_0078.JPG
 
Tensioners were a fix for the cheap chains and short cam tunnel to crank line bore issues. The manufacture was using them so the chain didn't rattle against the cover. A good true roller does not need a tensioner. A tensioner only takes up the slack of the stretched chain.They were installed at the dealer in 1997 on engines that came in with a rattle for warranty work. They installed one on my 1997 Dakota.

It does not prevent the cam timing from changing. A stretched chain is still stretched on the pull side no matter how much slack you take out.

Ryan at Shady Dell had a tensioner on engines that he screwed up the line bores on With the true rollers the chain wore into the guides and chewed them up. he could have just bought a chain set for that application.

The tensioners were designed for smooth roller or silent chains only. Sharp edges of true rollers eat them up. Sure after the chain wears to the roller they ride on the roller but where did all the plastic go before that occurs.

This would be bad info for a sticky. All good machine shops throw them in the garbage. Until you buy the tensioner and then the cheap smooth sided chain you have most of the money to just get a good true roller Roll Master or Cloyes. They come in different sizes for your crank to cam separation. Your engine builder will determine what you need.

The correct chain shouldn't have any slack at all. 8 years at some very hard pulls and RPM's mine was like the day it was installed. Do it once do it right. To me the tensioner just looks like more to fail internally.

Do you all know why the holes are on one side of the diameter of the light weight sprocket?

View attachment 1716371167
I agree on the tensioner. I put one on by a recommendation in a small block build book. It's not necessary with a double roller. If I ever take the front cover off, the tensioner will go away.
 
I use a tensioner on everything. The retard comes on deceleration.

Some **** never dies.

If you want performance you use a gear drive or belt drive.

Timing chains are the cheapest way to do it. That’s why OEM’s use them.

Of course, when you use a chain you have to run more piston to valve clearance and they wear. Just like any other chain drive.
 
Tensioners were a fix for the cheap chains and short cam tunnel to crank line bore issues. The manufacture was using them so the chain didn't rattle against the cover. A good true roller does not need a tensioner. A tensioner only takes up the slack of the loose or stretched chain.They were installed at the dealer in 1997 on engines that came in with a rattle for warranty work. with short cam tunnels. They installed one on my 1997 Dakota 6 cyl..

It does not prevent the cam timing from changing. A stretched chain is still stretched on the pull side no matter how much slack you take out.

Ryan at Shady Dell had a tensioner on engines that he screwed up the line bores on. Using it with the true rollers the chain wore into the guides and chewed them up. he could have just bought a chain set for that application.

The tensioners were designed for smooth silent chains only. Sharp edges of true rollers eat them up. Sure after the chain wears to the roller they ride on the roller but where did all the plastic go before that occurs.

This would be bad info for a sticky. All good machine shops throw them in the garbage. Until you buy the tensioner and then the silent chain you have most of the money to just get a good true roller Roll Master or Cloyes. They come in different sizes for your crank to cam separation. Your engine builder will determine what you need.

The correct chain shouldn't have any slack at all. 8 years at some very hard pulls and RPM's mine was like the day it was installed. Do it once do it right. To me the tensioner just looks like more to fail internally.

Do you all know why the holes are on one side of the diameter of the light weight sprocket?

View attachment 1716371167

To offset the fuel pump eccentric.

If you are running that gear and no eccentric you now have done the opposite of what it’s supposed to do.

Ever had a cam on a balancer? If you did you’d know what absolute bullshit those holes are.

But they sell because marketing.

I had a dude come into the shop with a little weight or whatever junk Mike Jones was selling as “technology” that was supposed to “balance” the out of balance the fuel pump lobe caused on a Chevy cam.

I told the guy you got burned by marketing. He thought I was lying.

So I put the cam in the balancer and had a go with it.

The balance was the exact same with or with out it.

I said don’t feel bad. You can use it and it won’t hurt a thing and you can tell all your buddies you picked up a tenth with it.

Lots of horse **** getting peddled out there.
 
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