Re: camshaft gear/distributor gear

[Guynn <amx69@xxxxxxxxxx>]

This fellows problem[s][ could be from a lot of different things. He has 
multiple issues with parts and all could be from one problem, or it 
could be 2-3 problems rolled into one.

The front cover could be the issue. The gears could be the issue. It 
could also be a wrongly machined cam. I have personal knowledge of 16 of 
those now. That is just me, and what I have seen. There are certainly a 
lot more failures[wrongly machined cams] than the few I have run into. 
His piston skirt problem could be from the Wrong rod bearings. If he got 
rod bearings missing the oil holes then he could damage his pistons and 
his cam.It could be a clogged oil passage. Could be Cam Walk.On a fresh 
engine, if you dump a lot of metal shavings you will saturate the oil 
with a very fine dust and that will in turn score the piston skirts.The 
fine dust mixed with the oil, under pressure is just like Cutting Fluid. 
It will ruin every bearing in the engine.score the crank, flatten cam 
lobes and ruin lifters.

In about 1980 I had a 401 that made 35 miles on a complete rebuild with 
all new parts, that engine was so full of metal that every single piece 
of New Parts was junk. The fresh .020 bore job was shot. Needed to go 
.030, the fresh turned 10-10 crank needed to go 20-20, in short the 
entire new ebginne was junk. In this case it was not cam 
walk/lube,gears, no issue at all like that. In this case it was Valve 
Guides. HOW IN THE WORLD  ...??? I am sure you are asking. well, the 
heads had new valveguides installed. The tops of the new guides were not 
machined to the proper height. There were 7 guides that were just tall 
enough to go ''solid'' on the lifters/cam, and since all was new, the 
cam hardening could not take the stress. Had the guides been just a 
little taller, it would hasve bent the pushrods and I would have located 
that I had a problem beforehand, well, at least before it had 35 miles 
and a bunce of metal in the motor.

I privately e-mailed this person when I saw his post. I put a lot of 
detail in the reply. I explained quiet a few different things it could 
be. I also explained it could be one problem that dammaged some parts 
and another problem that damaged other parts.

In order to determine what part[s] brought on the problem a lot more 
information is needed that the man posted.So far I have not heard back 
from him as to get answers to help figure out why he had a failure. More 
info is the key to solving the problem.

Regards,

Randy Guynn