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TOO MANY Steps Backwards!!!

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tony barnhill

tony barnhill

Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
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Well, today I disasembled my '63 Midget engine & am heading back to the machine shop with it!

The cam is too tight in the bearings.

I built the crank/rod/piston assembly & slid the cam into the new bearings...it slid in nicely.....then I installed the oil pump & rear plate & flywheel & clutch assembly.

Then I installed the front plate & water pump & lifters & side covers...

Today I went to install my new cam & crank sprockets with a new timing chain...but first I brought the engine to top dead center as it should be....then I went to turn the cam so it was aligned properly with the crank but it wouldn't budge using the sprocket for turning it!

I can put a vise grip on the end of the cam & turn it but its real tight (probably should've checked that way back when I started building the engine!!)...so.........

At least I got the new top installed on the car...that was easy & I'll post photos of it tonight.

Off to load the block on the truck & take to the machine shop along with the cam....guess they'll polish the cam where it meets the new bearings!

SIGH..................
 
During assembly cam should always go in before buttoning things up and timeing chain should be on. If cam only has one bearing like a 948 then oil pump should be installed before the cam and timeing stuff as the pump is actually the rear cam bearing.

The two additional bearings can be added for a 948 but it is machine shop work as some boreing is needed.
 
Well, I didn't worry about the timing sprockets/chain until I had everything else in & the short block basically buttoned up!
 
yep, I know Tony you decided to replace the timeing gears and chain on my recommendation and had to await delivery.

I seem to do the same thing and have the same kinds of problems. How many times have I had my engine out. Four, count em four and I need to do it again.
 
Jack-You may have to develop a quick disconnect system with as many times as you're pulling the drivetrain.
 
Well, he didn't think it was a big deal - said the engine would be ready for me to pick up tomorrow morning....thinks its a high spot on one of the bearings.
 
Me as well.

But then my guy would have checked it before he ever let me see it.
 
Yeah, but I had a new cam ground by David Anton after I got the engine back from the machine shop so its partially my fault.
 
Ahhh, bonk Tony. LOL you are the PDO on this one. The shop did not get to fit it.
 
Yep! Can't get angry with anybody except myself!
 
Hardly ever do you get lucky enough to put new cam bearing in and the cam just fall into place, almost always will the cam bearing need to be honed to fit. It probably had nothing to do with David reground and nitrite cam, he normally polishes the cam journal after nitriting, it just new cam bearings have to almost always be fitted to the cam. Sounds like you back on the right path now Tony.
 
No, has nothing to do with David's cam...its a beautiful piece of workmanship...I figured that once the bearings were installed & lightly line bored for straightness, the new cam would fit due to the split nature of the bearings....guess I taught myself a lesson!
 
Engine's back home...they found a high spot on one of the bearings....cam turns nicely now...start the re-rebuild tomorrow!

Note to self: Next time you build a Midget engine, install the cam first & check it closely.
 
hay, just think how nice it is going to be to have a solid engine in it.
 
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