Installing a non thrust plate cam into a thrust plate block

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unlimitedrubicon
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Re: Installing a non thrust plate cam into a thrust plate block

Post by unlimitedrubicon »

Ideally we could get thrust-plate cams on the aftermarket, but possibly the best available option, and this is what I did was to just get a timing cover from an older engine. All of the bolt-holes lined up from the block, one of them needed a different length bolt that I had a spare of, and another just needed ground off to clear the alternator bracket. This was a very quick, cheap, fix and there was no need to try and customize something as critical as camshaft clearances.
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Re: Installing a non thrust plate cam into a thrust plate block

Post by TurboTom »

I used an allen bolt in my cam and with the gasket it gave about .010" clearance to the stock 2000 cover.
Worked for me.
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SilverXJ
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Re: Installing a non thrust plate cam into a thrust plate block

Post by SilverXJ »

unlimitedrubicon wrote:This was a very quick, cheap, fix and there was no need to try and customize something as critical as camshaft clearances.
That stock pin and spring setup doesn't lend itself to setting critical clearances.
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Re: Installing a non thrust plate cam into a thrust plate block

Post by Adkfungi »

I just wanted to share my experience with everyone so they don't kill a cam like I did. I used the crane cam in my thrust plate motor with the cam button and spring. I used the original 01 timing cover and within a year the cam gear was burned off the cam. I installed a new on and dizzy drive. About 6months later the first love was burned off the cam and drive gear wasted again. As I tore the motor down I inspected everything carefully! I found the cam button does not come in contact with the timing cover allowing almost 3/4 inch travel!! Cam walk was my killer! So everyone please modify your current timing cover or eat the older one or you will be replacing cams regularly
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Re: Installing a non thrust plate cam into a thrust plate block

Post by dwg86 »

Some have had issues with this, mainly eating cam bearings. I made a solid pin out of a bolt, with a few thousands endplay on my last stroker I built (it got totaled in an accident with 18,000 miles).
Silverxj, a member on this board, had a newer style camshaft custom cam ground by Jones cams. I guess they were able to get the new cam blanks. I called Bullet cams to see if they were able to get the newer style cam blanks, and they said the blanks are not available right now (out of stock). That was about a month ago. One of the drawbacks of using a newer style cam is no one makes a roller timing chain set. I think the stock chain will do fine as long as the valve spring pressures aren't too high.
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Re: Installing a non thrust plate cam into a thrust plate block

Post by SilverXJ »

I had the cam walk bad in my engine. It seems I was also one of the first, or first reported that got hit by it as after I had my problem it seemed like other people did as well. I first went with the solid rod to replace the pin and spring back in 4/2011. I checked the bearings twice after that and they looked fine. About a year after that I wanted to go with a different cam and use the thrust plate design so I went looking and found Jones Cams. I gave the bearings a good check when I swapped cams and the bearings were still holding on. I have 30,000 miles on it since that and haven't done much to the engine.
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Re: Installing a non thrust plate cam into a thrust plate block

Post by Mopud »

Adkfungi wrote:I just wanted to share my experience with everyone so they don't kill a cam like I did. I used the crane cam in my thrust plate motor with the cam button and spring. I used the original 01 timing cover and within a year the cam gear was burned off the cam. I installed a new on and dizzy drive. About 6months later the first love was burned off the cam and drive gear wasted again. As I tore the motor down I inspected everything carefully! I found the cam button does not come in contact with the timing cover allowing almost 3/4 inch travel!! Cam walk was my killer! So everyone please modify your current timing cover or eat the older one or you will be replacing cams regularly
I think that was your problem though. I did 50,000mi in 4-5 years on my stroker before I too suffered cam walk. I had my original 2001 timing cover modified with a button on the inside to locate that cam bolt pin and spring. The problem I had was the button got worn down (it was aluminium) which released the load the spring. You didn't stand a chance if you just used the original timing cover. I'm trying to source an earlier model (1997) 4.0L timing cover to see if that fits my 2001 block. I imagine that will have a more durable button from factory on the inside.

Still scary though - this seems an oft overlooked part of these builds.
unlimitedrubicon wrote:Ideally we could get thrust-plate cams on the aftermarket, but possibly the best available option, and this is what I did was to just get a timing cover from an older engine. All of the bolt-holes lined up from the block, one of them needed a different length bolt that I had a spare of, and another just needed ground off to clear the alternator bracket. This was a very quick, cheap, fix and there was no need to try and customize something as critical as camshaft clearances.
Looks like unlimitedrubicon had the same idea. Looks the better way forward then.
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Re: Installing a non thrust plate cam into a thrust plate block

Post by SilverXJ »

unlimitedrubicon wrote: there was no need to try and customize something as critical as camshaft clearances.
There is nothing wrong with doing this and it is common work on other engines.
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