Just rebuilt my motor and I was driving and noticed that it seemed like the timing was off and it was getting worse so as I headed home the car died...

Upon investigation the timing gear on the camshaft sheared the bolts off...

I have narrowed it down to being 20 year old grade 5 bolts that I had torqued down at least five times myself and didnt think to replace them and all the torque snapped one of em and then they all gave in.

Ive already bought a new cam dowel pin and new comp cam bolts but I was wondering if this has happened to anyone else because its a full roller setup and im scared that possibly one of the lifters could have seized or maybe even a cam bearing but the bearings are brand new and the lifters passed tolerance and rolled very smoothly so im hoping its just old bolts

and a side note for some reason aftwards the oil dipstick tube is kinked or bent cuz it was hell getting the dipstick out and now it sticks out of the tube about 6 inches and wont any further

if you have any ideas of what else it could be or a way to tell without ripping the top of the motor off please let me know.

thanks in advance

 

I've never heard of the bolts just shearing off. However, they have been known to back out and then break. It may sound crazy but I use red locktite on these bolts along with safety wire. Before using the locktite need to degrease the bolts along with the bolt holes in the cam.

To safety wire may need to drill the bolt heads. Don't recall if any of the after market bolts come pre-drilled.

I also use red locktite and safety wire on the valley baffle bolts. So if using a spider (roller dog-bone retainer plate), that too would have the bolts locktite'd and safety wired. Just too much can go wrong if these loosen.

Oil pump bottom plate bolts too.

Although I don't safety wire the mains & rods. Figured I'd mention those.

RBob.

 

I've had them shear off but lucky I was assembling the motor, now I replace them regardless, $4 for new ARP bolts it's a no brainer.

Agree with RBob on the red loctite, never used safety wire but always a good idea, may start doing this in the future

 

One of them may have backed out a bit im not sure cuz there is still one bolt head i havent found that I have to drop the pan for but the other two sheared right off and then it broke the dowel pin...

never thought of using locktite on them but it obviously cant hurt

but yeah it was my fault for not thinking of using new bolts but luckily as long as the bearings and lifters havent seized then everything is fine

and i really dont wanna have to take the intake off so im hoping everything ends well when i start it back up but im sure ill find out right away...

thanks for the quick responses any other input is appreciated