I've got my cam slid into my block, no lifters in yet.

The cam is in all the way and seated on the bearings. Yet when i put the plate on the front and begin to tighten the screws, the cam becomes hard to turn.

I.E. I put the cam in, tighten the front plate screws to 12 ft-lbs, then stick the top gear on. It's hard to turn by hand with the gear.

With the retention plate off, I can pop the gear on and the cam spins freely.

Am I doing something wrong? I just feel like it's too tight. It was dark, so I couldn't get a good look in the block, but I'm 100% sure their is nothing blocking it. It just feels like the cam is a hair too long.

 

Make sure the rear cam plug is not backwards. The lip on that plug is on the inside. It looks backwards from all other freeze plugs. And then with the front plate installed their should be a bit of back and fourth play. I can't remember exactly how much but mine almost seemed excessive. Then my timing gear installed put it right within specs.

Good Luck!

 

I will look....

I just saw a post last night where someone said his cam plug was backwards, and I looked at it and thought "no it isn't"

Does the cam plug need to install from inside the block, or is it still installed in the rear?

 

installed from the rear of the block, lip points inward. From what I've read, ideal cam end play is between .003-.005 but can be as much as .014.

 

Good catch strokerfe, and good info tater_51...

 

this is wrong , who ever rebuilt my original motor installed it backwards

 

you can see the cam about to wear thru the plug

 

I'm going to go do a visual tonight. It was your thread that got me wondering about that plug.

Hopefully, thats it. I'd rather it be something simple and be done....

 

Yep the plug is in backwards and the cam looks like it took the bottom out of the plug !! I'd pull that SOB..and check the cam for damge..replace with new bearings..and install the cam plug the other way around..Thats alot of of cam walk !! I wonder what the lobes look like ?

 

that's on my old 360 , haven't had time to pull cam and rotating assembly yet .
check out the #1 cylinder wrist pin retainer gone !

 

Oooooch !! It might look worse in the pic than it really is tho ? I have seen worse appearing cylinder clean up tho..Good luck..keep us posted..