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Cam clearance

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Old Feb 7, 2012 | 10:04 PM
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Default Cam clearance

I can use a bit of input from those in the know. I got a chrome cam cover from a buddy, he installed new cam and pinion bushing and line reamed the cam bushing but * I'm finding my cam will fit in the bushing and even fit in the cam bearing with cover installed but when I went to remove the cover it's super tough to pull off. I tried the cover installed with breather off and cam removed just to make sure it's not the pinion binding in the cover bushing but the cover comes off no problem. The manual calls for cam gear shaft in bushing of*
.00075-.00175 clearance which isnt a hole lot of play. My old cover slid off and
on with only half the effort. The way I had to remove the cover with cam installed was by going through the front lifter block hole and prying the cam outward pushing the cover off with it and prying from the left side lip at the same time. Is it possible that the cam bushing needs alot more reaming or what's going on here? My buddy did ream it with a cam side casing half , I was standing right there. The cam was tight enough that I couldn't move it back and forth to check for end play.
 
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Old Feb 8, 2012 | 08:16 AM
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What does the inner bushing mic? as you said the clearance is very tight. I have seen the sme thing happen when the cam gear and pinion gear are set up too tight. (wrong color gears) Keep in mind there is a new seal in the bushing and a new seal can be plenty tight. lube it up. check your measurements, if all fall into spec, it's just the difference in new and old. Hope this helps.
 
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Old Feb 8, 2012 | 01:07 PM
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Thanks everything helps
I'll re-mike the clearance. Is it better for the cam to be a looser tolerance? I know the pinion fit is very important for oil pressure.
 
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Old Feb 8, 2012 | 05:01 PM
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Loose is noisy, make a sound like the valves need adjusted. To tight causes a whine, not good. some thing is going to wear a lot to give itself clearance. I am not saying that this is the case, but it is possible that your old cam is set up to tight and that it wore the bronze bushing in the nose cone...this would explain why the old nose cone goes on and comes off easily, but the new one seems to bind everything up...mic the old one and see what the difference is..
 
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Old Feb 8, 2012 | 09:39 PM
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I did some measuring and there's probably 1 thou difference , really hard to get accurate measurement with vineer caliper. I went back and got it line reemed a bit more and seems better with cam in and out of bushing. I know there's a definate difference reaming with his case half and mine. I stopped in to talk to the mech that originally did the bottom end a couple years back with the old cam cover with new bushings and he said the cam will eventually find a comfortable place in the bushing. I'll put it back together tomorrow and see how it feels.
 
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