CamThrust Plate bolt

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gunmetal72

gunmetal72

Life is a dark ride
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I remember reading a thread about one of the 3 bolts that hold the cam thrust plate in place has a hole in it to lubricate the timing chain. I have 3 bolts but none of them has a hole in it. Do I need this bolt, and if not how does the timing chain get oil?
 
There is a thread on this, mine didnt have it either, I drilled the top left hand bolt with a 1/8 drill bit and fabricated the deflector to drip the oil on the chain. Otherwise it gets the oil from the bottom of the timing chain case which has oil in the botton under normal conditions. I think I posted my mod to my build thread. Worthwhile mod if you are building any HP at all into your motor. Was factory built on the 340's. Search small block forum, I think KrazyCuda wrote it.
Good luck--------DR-------
 
Yeah just drill an eigth inch hole through one of em and buy or make a drip tab. Do you have a crank oil slinger ?
 
You can drill a small hole in one of the bolts.

Or you can just leave that bolt out, but use the other three...

If you use the other three, then the lock tab for the oil drip tab may get in the way, you can then enlarge the bottom hole in the camshaft thrust plate where the tab goes and re-bend the tab so it can fit in the new hole along with the other bolt...

Some engines did not have the top bolt in the oil feed hole and just left it open and did not come with the drip tab...

I like to use the drip tab to help direct the oil on the chain better...

But you can run without the drip tab, the oil will still get on the chain from the oil slinger.

Sometimes it may be hard to drill through the center of a bolt without breaking through to one side if you don't have a lathe to make it easy...


But there are a few options. Just leave the hole open, or run a bolt with a hole drilled in it...


Here's my write up on the front end assy of a small block...

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=287231
 
Thanks, that is the tread I was looking for. I do have the slinger and drip tab. I think I will find a drill press and drill a hole in one of the bolts.
 
IMO the oil slinger oils the chain adequately. From what I have seen most SBM dont have the bolt with a hole or the drip tab. I guess they cant hurt but I dont believe they are needed. I think they were an attempt to make the nylon timing sprocket live longer.
 
The best thing to do is forget about the bolt and slinger. Just drill a .062 hole in the cam plate where it covers either oil gallery. If you are careful you can drill the hole smaller than that.

I drilled and tapped mine to use a carb jet into the plate and found a small jet and screwed it in.
 
IMO, there's plenty of oil spilling out from the front cambearing.
If you would grind a narrow channel on the backside of the thrust plate, I think that would create enough supply to lube the chain and gears.
 
The update for this is . both top bolts solid. Right bottom bolt also solid holds a dripper the locks into the left bottom bolt hole with a tab. The oil comes out of the cam bearing runs down and onto the dripper. This oils the inside of the chain for better oiling. Due to centrifical force forcing it through the chain.
 
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