Hey folks. I just got off the horn with a buddy of mine that is swapping a new cam into his 400 SBC. The block is a 1980 circa and has been bored .030 with an offset ground 400 crank with small journal 327 rods that give it .010" more stroke..... Comes out to a 417"

Anywho..... he said that he was having trouble getting the cam out. Both the old and new cams are rollers. The old one that was attached to its home was a single pattern @.050 230, .512" . He got it out to the second bearing journal (the cam that is) and it just stopped. He said it really felt like it hit something solid. So I suggested sliding it back in the rest of the way and trying again and turning it a bit more. He did that a few times and said there is just no way.... So after rechecking the obvious stuff (like forgettin lifters or the fuel pump pushrod) I suggested he turn the crank like 30* and give it a try.... So he does this and it slid right out.... So it seems that the crank was in the way of the cam sliding out some how.... ( I think ). I really haven't run into this on a SBC before but I haven't much experience with 400s. Is this a 400 thing? I dunno.... Not a big deal since he got it to go now but I just thought I would see if any of the heavy line gurus know about this.

Laterzzzzzz
Matt

 

Yes, with 400 strokers. They make smaller base circle cams for this reason, even sometimes on 383's. A lot of people use rods with bolt on caps rather than the sock type nuts and bolts for a little added clearance. It only happens with large cams though.

 

It happens with any cam, even a stock one. It makes no difference what the cam's lift is or whether it's a roller or whether it's a small base circle or anything else about it; it's the bearing journal hitting the side of a rod.

He needs to turn the crank a little bit, maybe 20°. Some of the rods are inside the "volume" that the cam normally occupies.

 

RB got it right. Happens almost every time on 400s and 383 stroker motors.

 

Kewl. I figured it was a 400 thing. Thanks folks