Can I play too? I have sometime before I have to pass out. I would change the convertor to a 3600 stall. Still thinkin < [] > Do need to get to the bottom of this. Maybe it needs more end play on the cam to the front cover than first thought or was told. I do not know why I defy the odds on the cam to dist gear. But I would bet it was the serious oil mods done on my motor. I started the car yesterday, it was fifty outside pumped the carb couple of times fired right up no choke needed. Backed out of garage put in park and it just sits there loping at idle. The Sp3 works great. My oil pressure at idle is 60 when cold if I give it any gas it goes to 80. I HAVE to wait before riding, I wait till it hits 160 water temp. On the other end of this when at its hottest at 190 running at 3 grand down the highway I have 50 lbs of pressure, when pulling off the highway I will see as low as 15 lbs. once stopped. At 6 grand I have 70 lbs. I run the large gears in the pump and the pressure is adjustable, but you need some good oil mods to go with it. I do not see any wear on my distributor gear. I also bet running Mobile one 10-30 had something to do with that too. I have all this and when I start it up it is bone quiet until it gets totally warmed up and the valve train starts sounding like a sewing machine, has ticks in it that just don't go away, but runs like a freight train. I got 23 years on it now I am sure it is worn down. This is just some info I wanted to throw out as what was done on my motor and results given. This has nothing to do with Mart's problem though this problem is totally different, His set up looks good to me he has a machinist mind so I know it is right. I guess some one has to figure this thing out and you can't do that until you build the motor. Heck I just might write a book on this I'll start with Mart's problem. lol
You guys know the drill. Fix it better than it was, improve all components to survive. I'll get it done. Already thought of sintered bronze, or Naval bronze thrust washer, but I'm thinking new blk. Have JW restall my convertor to 3,6k. Autotech slugs, rods to hold 7k, some super stock oil mods, & my same old ported iron heads, etc. I just might have to write a book too! I can tell you one thing for sure.....the dual plane was choking off my cam over 6,2k. Wonder where those Sonny Seal and Bill M heads are at ?????
To bad there isn't a sbb orBBB timing chain cover that is setup like this sbc one; https://www.ebay.com/itm/SBC-327-28...ash=item4623fcd74d:g:HkgAAOSwKM9Zt~h9&vxp=mtr Here is the installation instructions for this cover; http://www.cloyes.com/Images/Instruct/Quick Button Timing Cover Instructions.pdf Of coarse the sbb/BBB one would need to hold coolant back because how the water pump is designed but it shouldn't be to hard to overcome. Probably as simple as a cover that has a water proof gasket over where the cam button cover is like the one in the link? Perhaps we can look at altering a timing cover? Would also probably need a different cam bolt that would except the bearing cam button like the sbc Cloyes one in the link. Directions say to set the button to zero lash and then torque the lock screw down to 10 ft pounds and done. Can't get any easier than that, that is the style timing cover I have on my sbc 383 in my '65 Impala and has worked flawless for years. I also have a billet timing chain setup that came machined for a trust so the block doesn't get eaten up.(can't recall if it was a bronze thrust bushing or a Torrington thrust bearing though?) There is no reason a billet timing set couldn't be made for a sbb that included some sort of thrust bushing/bearing? Probably would be the cam that would need to come with a thrust because of how the cam has a shoulder on it. Mart, if you want we can take a ride to Dave's shop some time and use his mill to fix your block. We can bore the damaged area down enough for a bronze bushing. I have some thick walled Ampco 22 tubing IIRC(its at least Ampco 18) that I was thinking of using to make cam bearings but never did and still have the material. I think I can part with a small slice of it to fix your block. We'll have to fire up Dave's new lathe as well to make the bushing! We can bore the galling out of the block and make the bushing a press fit and Loctite it in. Dave has even used hardened valve seats to fix that area before, not a Buick only problem. Let me know.
Derek, Mart has already modified his cover for adjustable endplay. See #20, 25, and 57 for how it look sand works. I'd look into a Torrington bearing behind the cam after the block is machined. With a little oil it will never go bad. There almost has to be something already for the V6's that would work.
Problem with that is no one goes to the track with their 350 or goes to the dyno to find out how these combinations run. All you have is dyno syms and butt dynos. Plus a bunch of dreams on the parts we should run instead of using the ones we already have.
Derek, So you must have talked to Dave? Good, I have some ideas, and if I can fab up a custom (possibly replaceable) bronze wear plate or bushing that would save me from re-boring, align hone, decking, etc., on a new blk. Still would get the Autotechs and rods, internal balance it and BHJ balancer. I could get this back together and test out that s/p that no one (except John) has done yet. He he
Your thinking Mike! I'm happy with my bumper setup. It may be too accurate! Probably should have used the one that would wear on the aluminum timing cover..... I'll be sure to use JW's recommended setting of .010-.015. I now know .003-.007 doesn't work for me.
Interesting, but zero lash won't cut it. I had .005 and cover didn't "expand" like these directions are saying the cover will. If anything, it expanded the wrong way, towards the blk. Guess I will have to setup an indicator, get out the girlfriends hairdryer and see what cover movement I get for myself!
Mart, First time I had seen this post was just a minute ago.. when I was trying to figure out what you meant about "using this block" in a later post reply to me. Seen many a 455 do this, what your looking at is effect, not cause.. yes, it's a low oil flow area, and yes increase oiling does help, but every time I have ever seen this on a front oil pump driven Buick, it's directly related to oil pump load, or a gear alingment issue. Considering what your gear looked like, I am not at all surprised to see the block wear. TA has a .040 thrust washer to repair this, and for installing roller cams, we used them all the time back when we had the 8620 rollers, they would tend to eat up the block. But your farther than that now at .058 it might be time to start with a fresh block.. or you can have a custom bearing bronze washer machined. JW
The issue with a Torrington roller and races, is your out of available space.. I did this years ago to repair a block, but we had a custom front cam bearing with a shoulder on it, and machined the block and rear of the cam, to make it all sit correctly... The thinnest torrington 3 piece assembly is .090 if I recall correctly, you can get an exposed roller bearing at maybe .060, I can't recall for sure the thickness. The issue is you right at the cam bearing now, and you may or may not have enough room to make that whole deal work. You also have no positive way to locate the bearing.. sure you can machine off the thrust step on the back of that cam, and you can match the groove depth and diameter to hope it stays in, which it may, but there is no guarantee. The custom cam bearing had a shoulder on it, that was the id of the torringington bearing. I wish I had one of these custom cam bearings to sell you, but that one was done by a machinist friend of mine, and he since has retired.. JW
Thanks Jim. Yes oiling needs to be seriously addressed. Torrington bearing would be cats azz, but probably fab up a bronze washer to get blk face back to flush.
Yes, a custom front cam bearing with a front flange abt .060 thick would be sweet! Just install and everything would be hunky dory. Those need to be manufactured! If I was still working, it would be made already.......something like this...
Just a thought. How about a snap ring in the back of the block BEHIND the cam forward of the rear cam plug like a "Nail" uses??? Enough room to machine a groove in the rear of the block??? Wouldn't have to worry about lubrication as there should be plenty of oil back there. The snap ring just needs to be installed properly. Now you don't have to worry about the wear on the front of the block as it would be a non-issue??? Maybe too much oil loss from the front cam bearing??? Thoughts??? Tom T.
Machining that snap ring groove would be tough. Ideally you'd want to spin the block.....or....... a recess tool in a boring bar head maybe. Then the cam rear end would have to be ground square, flat, and polished to not gall into snap ring. Could be done, but custom cam bearing would be a no brainer. All turned and bored in one chucking!
