Just to start off with, I'm not usually this stupid. Last night, out in the cold, working at dusk and freezing my fingers off, I quickly decided to replace my frost plugs on my 350 donor engine before hoisting it into the frame...

Soooo I grabbed a couple of drifts and started on the nice rusty big one on the rear of the block... Yes, after whacking on it for a little bit I had the epiphany of the week... I'm an idiot and I have been pounding on the end of my new camshaft...

After realizing what I had been doing I took on strategy number two and had the plug out in seconds. The end of the new camshaft does have a small scratch on it from the drift...

Does anyone here have a clue about possible damage to the cam, push rods, timing cover or chain???

The engine is ready to go in and I can't bear to think about opening it up again.

Jim

 

Any chance you got a pic of the scratch you speak of? If it's in the area where the cam rides on the bearing surface in the back it will wipe out that bearing in no time. If your lucky and it's on the face of the cam it's probably ok. Hate to say but I would pull the cam and inspect closely. Next time soft plugs need to replaced when the engine is bare.

 

If this was a flat tappet block like in your sig, you were pounding the cam sprocket against the timing cover, and/or a few of the lobes against the sides of some of their neighboring lifters.

Doesn't sound good for the home team right about now.

I wouldn't worry about the scratch. It'll be fine. Doesn't matter in the slightest. That's why the cam mfr puts the part # right there, by .... scratching.

Push rods, chain, and sprocket are OK. The TC , cam, and lifters, are the victims to be worried about.

 

OK, thanks. The cam bearing was fine. I pulled the plug out of the garbage yesterday after reading your post to check exactly where I had pounded away on the plug. I wasn't pounding hard at all... Anyways, the two holes were not on the race/bearing and both holes were driven at sharp angles- not directly into the end of the cam.
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I have the engine in now. I have hydraulic lifters and the water pump was bolted up to the engine so the timing cover (nice and shiney) couldn't deform or allow the cam to creep/move forward.

I'll post back how the engine runs and if anything isn't right. Tranny lines, a couple pails of oil, cooling lines, two brake lines I nicked with the grinder while dealing with new motor mounts, fuel lines and pump and carb to go!

Thanks, Jim

 

Make sure you didn't move the cam bearing. If not in the right place, the engine isn't going to get oil.

Scar tissue from 1988. . .

 

While the plug was out I did look closely at the cam bushing and I couldn't see any way it could have moved...

I hope not!

Thanks, Jim

 

The cam bearing would not have moved; the bore it fits in is larger than where the plug goes (there's a little step there).

The place you are most likely to have damage, is on the side of lobes, and the side of lifters, from the cam being driven forward and lobes hitting the sides of the lifters on the lobe right in front of them. If you have that, the cam won't last an hour of running before lobes will be completely ground off.

 

OK, I see. My cam was pushed forward no more than 1/16th to 3/32s of an inch, so maybe I'm ok then. I post a reply next week when this thing turns over.

Thanks,

Jim

 

Right... that's about how far it can go before the lobes hit their neighbor lifters.

Good luck. But don't be too surprised if you get a wipe-out.