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Engine Mechanical TopicsDiscussion for motor builds, cams, head work, stripped bolts and other engine related issues. The good and the bad. If it goes round and around or up and down, post it here.
Im in the middle of changing cams to my twincam 96, however, im having some doubts about the cam plate install.
I've changed the cam & bearings just fine, however, when putting back the cam plate on the engine case it doesn't go all down, there's a small gap between the plate and the mating surface, i've tried to push it but it doesn't come closer.
Anyone have a idea of why this might be happening?
Did you check with a dial caliper that your bearings seated far enough into their openings? IT needs to be at a specific distance from the bearing installer tool. For example in my shop manual (for 2012 Softail) it says the following.......
1. To avoid engine damage care must be taken to install bearing to correct depth. The correct depth is archived only when the edge of the needle bearing is 3.10 inch (78.7 mm) from the cam cover flange.
2. Use a dial caliper and measure the thickness of your support plate.
3.Determine the required distance from the top of the support plate to the edge of the installed needle bearing by adding support plate thickness to (for a 2012 softail) 3.10 in. (78.7mm)
If the bearings are not in far enough the cams will cause the cam support plate to not sit against the body of the cam chest.
I've changed the cam & bearings just fine, however, when putting back the cam plate on the engine case it doesn't go all down, there's a small gap between the plate and the mating surface, i've tried to push it but it doesn't come closer.
As long as the inner cam bearings are seated flush with the case, they will not hold the cam plate away from the case. Are you installing the oil pump first, or are you installing the cam plate and pump as an assembly? I would be looking at the oil pump neck that fits into the scavenge port case bore to make sure you have the correct o-ring; that the o-ring is seated properly. Could be that the location dowels are just tight in the bore and the cam plate requires a little bump to push it into place.
Yes, all good suggestions.
I installed S&S geared cams on my softail over Christmass and recall having a little of the same problem. I believe it was the oil pump not being lined up or rotated in the right position, etc. It took a little bit to see it.
Today i took another chance to install it, the problem was that one of the rotors in the oil pump moved out of alignment so one did fit the crank but the other didn't since it was out of alignment, just pushing a bit the cam plate while rotating the engine made the crank to fit the other rotor.
Today i took another chance to install it, the problem was that one of the rotors in the oil pump moved out of alignment so one did fit the crank but the other didn't since it was out of alignment, just pushing a bit the cam plate while rotating the engine made the crank to fit the other rotor.
I'm assuming you must have pulled the cam plate with the oil pump still installed? Then was trying to install it with the pump still on the plate? I'm not a very trusting soul when it comes to doing something like that, I always separate the plate from the oil pump and install the pump before the cam plate. I just recently chatted with a guy who pulled and installed cams with the pump still on the plate, he ended up breaking a rotor. Only thing we could figure was he must have cracked it when trying to make the rotors and crank line up, when installing the plate and pump together. A few hundred miles later he lost oil pressure and found a rotor had broken.
I'm assuming you must have pulled the cam plate with the oil pump still installed? Then was trying to install it with the pump still on the plate? I'm not a very trusting soul when it comes to doing something like that, I always separate the plate from the oil pump and install the pump before the cam plate. I just recently chatted with a guy who pulled and installed cams with the pump still on the plate, he ended up breaking a rotor. Only thing we could figure was he must have cracked it when trying to make the rotors and crank line up, when installing the plate and pump together. A few hundred miles later he lost oil pressure and found a rotor had broken.
Yes, i did remove & install the plate & pump as an assembly.
Probably the guy broke the rotor because of something like what happened to me, for some reason the second rotor likes to move out while you're handling the cam plate and when installing, if not careful, you can force it out and break/damage the rotor.
I don't see any reason of why installing first the pump vs install it with the plate all together must be a "time bomb", if everything alings and fits correctly without problems.
Yes, i did remove & install the plate & pump as an assembly.
Probably the guy broke the rotor because of something like what happened to me, for some reason the second rotor likes to move out while you're handling the cam plate and when installing, if not careful, you can force it out and break/damage the rotor.
I don't see any reason of why installing first the pump vs install it with the plate all together must be a "time bomb", if everything alings and fits correctly without problems.
Just my .02
By installing the oil pump first (not attached to the cam plate) you get to physically see that it seats into the scavenge O ring properly. Mounted on the plate and installed all at once you don't get that visual confirmation.
Once the cam plate has been distirbed you still have to align the oil pump so it not really a time saver.
All that said that's just the way I do it. I'm not saying any other way is wrong.
Today i took another chance to install it, the problem was that one of the rotors in the oil pump moved out of alignment so one did fit the crank but the other didn't since it was out of alignment, just pushing a bit the cam plate while rotating the engine made the crank to fit the other rotor.
Same thing happened to me a year ago when I swapped cams. It is still running fine. As long as you didn't put a bunch of pressure on that rotor it will be ok. Trying to draw the cam plate in with the bolts when the scavenge rotor is mis-aligned would likely crack the rotor.
I'm going to be installing my support plate in the next few weeks and when I removed it I also left the pump on. Can you guys offer some advise for when I go to put it back in so I don't run into this issue? Should I take the pump off and do something to the rotors?
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Cam plate installation
