Roller Cam Retro-fit

[Green79Scottsdale]

I was discussing this with a co-worker today. When the time comes I am most likely going this route with my truck. I understand most of what goes into this, linked lifters, dizzy gear change, etc. The only part of this I do NOT fully understand is the cam plate and button. I know you need them to keep the cam from walking around. Flat tappets are ground on a slight angle so the lifters are constantly pushing them to the back of the block, roller cams are flat and need a retention system. I also understand some machining is needed to install said plate and button, correct? Has anyone here done this, or had it done, and have before and after pictures of the work? Thanks in advance.




edit: And please do not start with the Vortec and/or LS swap talk. Those are also possibilities being considered in parallel thought processes, but not directly pertinent to this discussion.

 

[bucket]

Unless I'm mistaken, you shouldn't need a plate. Just run a cam button and make sure you have proper clearance to the timing cover.

 

[farmerchris]

Install Crane Cams Timing Set [10] Installing the new Crane timing set was a simple job for Greg, and only required a little effort to slide in place. We chose to install the lower timing gear (which is adjustable in 2-degree increments) at 0-degrees—or straight up—for our initial testing.
Install Camshaft Thrust Plate [11a] The double roller chain bolts onto the new camshaft, but make sure you install both the camshaft thrust plate and the new front roller button. These two pieces ensure that the camshaft is centered properly in the block and won't shift forwards (towards the timing cover) once everything is installed.
Front Roller Button [11b] The double roller chain bolts onto the new camshaft, but make sure you install both the camshaft thrust plate and the new front roller button. These two pieces ensure that the camshaft is centered properly in the block and won't shift forwards (towards the timing cover) once everything is installed.

Read more: http://www.superchevy.com/technical...r_upgrades_project_homewrecker/#ixzz2pxzm2Xcn

 

[bucket]

Let me clarify. Thrust washer yes, retainer plate no.

 

[Green79Scottsdale]

In my spare time I have looked on Crane, Comp, Howards, and Lunati's websites. I got the best info from Crane's site. They had their install manual in .pdf form, so I took a gander at it.

Now keep in mind, I have never actually had a small block out of a car and torn down, so how the cam, timing gears/chain, and all that worked together were fairly foreign to me. Crane had some good pics, and I think I have a pretty good handle on it now. Crane is the only company that says they recommend using a retainer plate. Comp advises to make sure you use the correct timing equipment and cam buttom when doing a retro-fit. I didn't find anything on Howard's or Lunati's site saying either way. So, I am going with it just depends on what combination of parts you end up going with.

The machining I was wondering about is for the retaining plate. On factory blocks there are three tapped holes for it. On older blocks those tapped holes are not there. Sounds like a simple drill and tap job if you want to add the holes.

Hopefully this will help anyone else searching for more information on this subject.

 

[bucket]

IIRC, the older blocks don't have the bolt bosses, so there isn't anything to drill/tap into? If it does work, you would need an '87-later cam that has a stepped nose that fits into the retainer plate.

 

[Green79Scottsdale]

What got this all going for me was my most recent issue of Chevy High Performance. They did a 388 build on a pre-1986 non-roller block. From the pictures that I see, no there is not dedicated bosses for the retainer plate screws on the older block. However... the boss around the cam journal appears to be big enough to drill and tap into. And you are right bucket, you need to make sure you get the correct cam with the stepped nose. All the cam companies produce retro-fit specific cams, so this should not be much of an issue.

 

[Green79Scottsdale]

Install Camshaft Thrust Plate [11a] The double roller chain bolts onto the new camshaft, but make sure you install both the camshaft thrust plate and the new front roller button. These two pieces ensure that the camshaft is centered properly in the block and won't shift forwards (towards the timing cover) once everything is installed.

Let me clarify. Thrust washer yes, retainer plate no.

After reading the article from farmerchris, the thrust washer/plate and cam button combo are another way of doing it also. So many possibilities...