Has anyone had the camshaft sprocket come loose? The bolts that hold it in place are very small bolts with a small head to clear the fuel pump. I use an electric fuel pump so head clearance was not an issue I used a grade 8 bolt with a standard head and torqued it to the grade 8 bolt specification. The most important issue is the length of the bolt. Cut them using the old bolt as a guide and then use an old camshaft to check them very carefully. I think this is a question an answer post but is my solution OK or is their a better way? Ron J
X2 The factory has all these calibrated torque wrenches they use to torque bolts and nuts into submission, but when aftermarket fasteners are used, different rules come into play. NASCAR racers use Loctite to keep the cars from falling apart in just 500 miles (or whatever).
I use this blue stuff.. Regardless of how it's spelled.. :laugh: http://www.amazon.com/LOCTITE-37418-Medium-Strength-Threadlocker/dp/B000FIXQXK never had one come loose,that I am aware of, factory bolts used many times.. What's your application Ron? JW
Jim I am using this motor in a drag racing application only. It is a 40 over 455 blue block with wisco flat top pistons a TA 413 hydraulic cam. The bottom end is topped off with a set of cast iron wet flowed stage 1 heads and a TA SP1 Dominator Intake Manifold with a 1050 cfm carb Lots of mods to the block. I saw a picture of one your engine builds that you used some standard bolts on the cam. Thank You Ron J
I just had the same thing happen to my backup motor last summer. Bolt threads had Loctite on them but one still came loose and then the other one sheared off. What a pain in the ass! Luckily, it happened when I tried to start the car for my 2nd pass of the day, not during a pass. Could've been really ugly. Still bent half the valves trying to start it.
Doug, Man, if it weren't for bad luck, you would have no luck at all.. I sure hope the pop can motor treats you better.. Ron, I would file it under "**** happens, and move forward. JW
this was drilled into my head after losing a 500+ dollar SS prop off my boat. The three most important rules are... [h=1]LOCTITE LOCTITE & LOCTITE[/h] Never lost another one. I use red and/or blue depending on what i'm working on.
For what it's worth, I use the red loc-tite as well. I put about 10,000-14,000 miles per year on my Skylark and typically yank the engine for various upgrades every other year or so and never had a bolt loose. (The entire time I've been reading this thread my mind keeps thinking "Cross-threads > Loc-tite" :laugh: )
I pulled a sealed timing cover back off since I couldn't sleep wondering if I forgot to torque and loctite the cam bolts......sure enough I had..... ou:
