Camshaft End Play?!?! How Much ?

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madmaximum

CA-HWY9 Road Race Rebel
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My camshaft seems to drift back and forward excessively. To the tune of .200" approx.

What is this play supposed to be, or what works.

I have had everyone say my camshaft looks like it is sloppy and strangely deteriorated at the side faces of the lobes. Like it has been thrown back and forth down that alley of mean solid lifters way too abusively, and hence seeming to chip away as the edges of lifters vs. lobes will overlap and grind past each other in the cam's over ambitiously long travels fore to aft of my Cam Bearing Tunnel.

(Slides front to back too much)

I will probably just order a new thrust plate... Seems to have the same play with either side of the plate. One side appears worn slightly. Though they seem to both be too much... How much is too much? My cam looks abused and I feel sorry for it. I'd like to give it a better working environment so it can maintain to be a happy and reliable Employee of my Power Plant.

I have a wool cushion spacer (Same material as the "Never Used" Oil Slinger Cushion) so I put it in there to take up the slack... And that it did. I felt it compress for some while as I Torqued down the Cam-Thrust Plate to spec. Worried it is under too much load/ loading the cam too much. Can't remember what type of surface limits camshaft play to the Rear. I believe it is a Special Style "Freeze Plug" type soft metal instert that is hammered flat as to press it in place to hold for such load bearing properties... As say cam thrust.

Now would this excess play detrimentally effect say, my Timing Advancement in a seemingly chaotic and unpredictable variance as the pinion gears slide along eachother too much in their rotation?! I can not recreate this slack with engine off due to valvetrain load on the camshaft, but I assume that while rotating could easily spiral through its Kaliedescope of lifters easily enough to become a rouge variable in the distributors proper alignment through all of its synchronistic advancment adjustments.
*Thinks "Wow I sound like an pompus asshole right now"*

However Minute this distance may be in the grand scheme of things, like I said it is about .200" or nearly 1/4 of an inch. And I am curious to know what this science is all about if there is one. Or if it is completely insignificant due to automated vacuum correction... ?!

-Dang curious anyways fellas,
Mad Max
 
hi that wool spacer is not for the cam, if your lobes have pits and etc, its time to replace it! when the gear is tightened up,it takes up the end play.
then there is very little or no end play. plus the lobes are ground with opposite tapers so they help hold cam in place. also the fuel pump lobe has to be bolted on front to bring things up tight.
 
hi that wool spacer is not for the cam, if your lobes have pits and etc, its time to replace it! when the gear is tightened up,it takes up the end play.
then there is very little or no end play. plus the lobes are ground with opposite tapers so they help hold cam in place. also the fuel pump lobe has to be bolted on front to bring things up tight.

Duh!
I should have thought of that!?! I knew that wasn't what that was for... I will now take it all apart again... FML
 
*Thinks "Wow I sound like an pompus asshole right now"*

-Dang curious anyways fellas,
Mad Max

No man, it's refreshing to read big words and I think it's great you use that type of language.

When I put my new Lunati cam in it might have had a little play but nowhere near .200". With that said and your lobes being all messed up I think you should play it safe and just get a new cam.
 
IT'S ONLY 8,000 Miles OLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So something is Way askew in there. I will probably get an Isky soon anyways.

I found out I have the low comp pistons (well pretty sure) and that pisses me off. cause they are 8,000 miles old too. I just rebuilt this thing! Spun 3 Rods and now have a New Crank. and Cam Bearings... Among much other things. It is all assembled, and Now I have to take it apart and want to completely rebuild it again!!!!!
I want THOSE DANG DOMEd Pistons!!!! the 10.5:1 ones. a Taller Cam, maybe Roller Rockers, and TTIs. Wow, wasn't this thing all original like a year ago?! I am a Damn Fool. (Still have all the stuff though)

This car torments me as I want to build a race car and this car just wants to be restored. I need to find a 70 Demon/Duster or a 69 Barracuda.
But my dad promised me to not sell the car untill he can buy it back, and he can't so I am keepin her. And I love her but she aint my Wife. She feels more like an Aunt.... I sure don't talk to my momma like that.!!
 
Yeah, I understand. Although my Duster doesn't want to be restored or hot-rodded/raced, it just wants to sit on its *** in my dad's garage for the rest of its life. I swear so many little things have messed up to postpone the installation of the engine that I'm afraid big things will start to go wrong if I keep trying...
 
**** son! Maybe you would feel better if you just blew it up! Link me to the Youtube video when you do... I wanna watch and I'll even pay ya a Buck to see that.

JK, you shouldn't probably do that. Well at least it would be a better story than, "I should NEVER have Sold it!!!!"

What is wrong with it. This thread aint goin no where so go ahead and Hijack it for a Good Rant! I promise I won't mind....
 
I have rebuilt over 200 engines, and never seen .200 cam walk. Something is wrong. Checked the plug at the back of the cam?
 
It's New! Hopefully he put it in Right. Kinda a brute. He scrapped up my cam bearings kinda excessively during Install..

Yeah it is less than that but not by much, I am concerned-er now. Dang nabbit!@!#$%^&*()_
 
So I took the Timing cover and Figured out why my Car quit getting gas Even with Spankin' Shiny New Fuel Pump. The Eccentric walked out off the end of the cam due to this Issue with my "Good Idea" for a Cork camshaft spacer behind the Thrust place... It was Highly compressed and Formed to its surroundings.
Tossed that puppy and put her all back together. Should this Concern as well as my Fuel Issue. Yeah TWO BIRDS guys!
 
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