Anyone else worry about cam end play (or lack thereof)?

[Jonny042]

I'm not sure if I should worry about it or not......

When I assembled each side to test fit, without fully torquing the 3 6mm bolts holding the cam retainer plate, I got cam end play within spec (albeit at the low end).

Last night I assembled the right side with sealant and fully torqued the 6mm bolts and have no measurable end play. The cam still turns with approximately the same effort, so it doesn't seem like it would be problematic, but still.....

Not like there is any sort of adjustment I could do, short of chucking the retainer in a lathe and trying to make it thinner.

I thought of buying new retainers but if anything I think the problem would be worse?

[Catorce]

Originally Posted by Jonny042

I'm not sure if I should worry about it or not......

When I assembled each side to test fit, without fully torquing the 3 6mm bolts holding the cam retainer plate, I got cam end play within spec (albeit at the low end).

Last night I assembled the right side with sealant and fully torqued the 6mm bolts and have no measurable end play. The cam still turns with approximately the same effort, so it doesn't seem like it would be problematic, but still.....

Not like there is any sort of adjustment I could do, short of chucking the retainer in a lathe and trying to make it thinner.

I thought of buying new retainers but if anything I think the problem would be worse?

You got no measurable end play. What's the problem?

[MBEngineering]

HI Jonny042

you say you got it all assembled and no end float, what sealer did you used?

"Last night I assembled the right side with sealant"

if it was the "574" (should have been 573) it will have run down between the end of the cam and the back of the retaining plate and set, I take it you oiled the cam before you fitted it and the excess oil has stopped the sealer sticking to the end of the cam and also poss' stopped the sealer sealing the gasket at the bottom 3rd of the gasket

I take it you fitted the thrust washer the correct way round?

[Jonny042]

I used curil T, and suppose some squish out could have occurred. Thrust washer installed with bevel in towards the engine.

[MBEngineering]

HI Jonny042

are the cams the original or have you replaced them, with O.E. or aftermarket, as the face depth could be slightly out if not O.E. from the end of the cam to the thrust washer, not the seal plate

[Jonny042]

Originally Posted by MBEngineering

HI Jonny042

are the cams the original or have you replaced them, with O.E. or aftermarket, as the face depth could be slightly out if not O.E. from the end of the cam to the thrust washer, not the seal plate

They are new billet from DRC. The end play was good until I added sealant and torque to the retainer plate. I guess I'll take it apart and resurface things and start over, maybe with even less sealant.

In fact, I was uneasy about using sealant in the first place and should have followed my instinct to use nothing but grease on the gasket.....

[MBEngineering]

Hi Jonny042

when you take it apart, check the gasket is OK, the sealer may have let it slip/split and gone between the retainer/seal plate and the cam when you torqued up the bolts, if you put some new gasket and seals in there use some Locktite 573 on the geasket only, please do not use grease, as this will make the gasket slip/split between the cam box and the retainer plate, the Locktite has to be put on the gasket from the tube and not to be touched with your finger to spread it on the gasket, this is from a Tec Info I was given at the dealership in 1978 for the Carrera 3 and early SC/Turbo 3.0Lt

[Jonny042]

Originally Posted by MBEngineering

Hi Jonny042

when you take it apart, check the gasket is OK, the sealer may have let it slip/split and gone between the retainer/seal plate and the cam when you torqued up the bolts, if you put some new gasket and seals in there use some Locktite 573 on the geasket only, please do not use grease, as this will make the gasket slip/split between the cam box and the retainer plate, the Locktite has to be put on the gasket from the tube and not to be touched with your finger to spread it on the gasket, this is from a Tec Info I was given at the dealership in 1978 for the Carrera 3 and early SC/Turbo 3.0Lt

The gasket is the problem - cam journal is 49mm and the gaskets measure out to be around 48 - not to mention the only means of location is via the 6mm bolts which don't do much to locate the gasket. Pretty tough to avoid pinching the gasket with the cam, and eliminating end play. I'm going to try carefully gluing the gaskets to the cam carriers so that the cams travel the full distance to the retainer plate without capturing the gasket on the way. Even if I'm not successful I'm sure things will wear in, in short order.

[KTL]

Also make sure that you have good alignment between the thrust plate/chain box and the cam housing. Your cylinder base gaskets and your head machining should account for this. If not, then it's not unreasonable to machine the case mounting surface of the chain boxes- or use a thicker chain box gasket (or no gasket).

[Jonny042]

Originally Posted by KTL

Also make sure that you have good alignment between the thrust plate/chain box and the cam housing. Your cylinder base gaskets and your head machining should account for this. If not, then it's not unreasonable to machine the case mounting surface of the chain boxes- or use a thicker chain box gasket (or no gasket).

Thanks, Kevin, I watched for that and they were good - within the amount of "slop" allowed for by the design.

Just to follow up on this, got both sides cleaned up and back together, being mindful of gasket placement and amount of sealant, and have the correct end play.

Cam timing is done and I've got half the rockers installed, so finally close to buttoning this thing up!

[Walt Fricke]

Gaskets for the earlier motors with the smaller journals?

[Jonny042]

Originally Posted by Walt Fricke

Gaskets for the earlier motors with the smaller journals?

Good question, but no I don't think so, just a little undersized maybe a half millimeter.

I'll double check later.... I have another brand of gasket set to check against plus the originals.