Cam tower
 

If the cam tower mating surface is off by 0.2mm on # 2 , and it is machined by removing +/- 0.1 mm from the # 1 and # 3 surfaces , what other effects can this cause?

Why and how would cam towers that are torqued down deform ?

I decided to order another ( machined and inspected ) cam tower , to make sure I sleep at night .

This will give me time to reflect on every step taken so far , and mentally motivate me to start taking things apart again.

One small step for man , one giant slip for Errie Kruger.

I also gave in to threats and pleas from Sue about moving my MOTOR out of the living room - tomorrow we will be married for 32 years.

This looks better. I got away on a technical point.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316552389.jpg

Cleaning up the living room was more appreciated than the leak-down tester I gave her as an anniversary present. That was until she saw the blingbling that was also in the box.

Hope to move the motor back when I receive the new cam tower :D

Cam tower
 

Replacing the cam tower might solve my problem , but not answer my questions - anybody wanting to give their 2 cents on this ?

Have you measured all the cylinder heights? If your heads are not flat and
level across you have a problem somewhere. I would not entertain modifying
the cam tower as a valid solution to this problem. Not that it wouldn't work,
you're just solving the wrong problem. What is it that is making one of your
heads sit up a little?

andy

Andy - looking at all the options and potential causes .

Heads and case machined by Ollie's - trust them to be perfect.

Prof Ferdinand must be looking down on me with a smile.

Andy and I have both mentioned checking the cylinder heights. They must all be the same height. Cam tower could be warped some how, I have seen this before but not very often. Trying to re-machine the cam tower to correct the problem with # 2 is not the answer IMHO. If case and heads were done at Ollie's they should be fine, but you should still check and make sure.

Thanks guys - cylinder heights will be measured and feedback given. Hope to do it in the next few days.

These are new pistons and cylinders.

Don't forget to measure all your shims as well.

Africa trip
 

Grady asked me to post pics of our trip in April. I took more than 1000 photos , but did not have internet access for 99% of the time ( cell phone reception as well ). Still got a $1321-27 bill for roaming charges.

Here is one where I introduced my grandson to a kitty that showed a bit too much interest.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316705788.jpg

Peak hour traffic more dangerous than the 405.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316706081.jpg

That looks like fun to be around (trained) big cats like that.

Correction - shown here the 0.25 ( measured ) and 0.50 ( measured ) shims before removing the 0.25.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316714727.jpg


When taking the cam tower/heads off today , the thread on one stud looked different than the others ( this was on # 2 - the problem ). I will use my snap-on tool to make sure this is perfectly clean , use the washers received from Tom Butler , a new nut , and see what happens. This could have caused uneven torque.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316714799.jpg

Have you been using any lube on your nuts before tightening? Dry is not the way to go and will not produce consistent torque values.

No luck - hoped I could get a break on this. Will do it the proper way as suggested by Pelicans.

I have used oil as lubricant , but must have used an old nut on this stud to keep the cylinder from falling when turning the motor.

With the last assembly , I did not add oil again. Will try one more time.

350HP930 - it works !!!!!! :) I hoped the whole time that this is a torque problem , and nothing more serious.

The combination of wrong washers , one dirty stud head , and not enough oil on threads was another rookie mistake.

Glad I could be of help, then again I do have years of engine building under my belt and had to learn a few of these lessons the hard way myself as well, lol. ;)

I have tried to be as precise as possible from the start. A repetitive action like taking the tower off at least 6 times , made me miss the basics. Yes Mr. White - you can not fix stupid.

Although the camshaft could be turned by hand , it was significantly tighter than the other side. Now they are perfect.

Max - this is a 6 month old cup kept in the kindergarden. The pic was taken at a research facility that does genetic testing and scientific research. There are numerous prides of lions , but because the males kill the offspring of other males , they are taken from the prides as soon as some brave or drunk ranger finds the guts.

They are then raised ( bottle fed ) till they get out of control and big enough to be released into the pride again.

There is no such a thing as a tame wild animal. Instinct will always take over at one stage. The only training these cups get , is how to be a lion that can survive in the wild. Wonderfull work by this dedicated team.

Did this a while ago - sandblasted , primed , and painted with high temp engine paint.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316732175.jpg