Conversion Kit for Weber Billet Roller Camshafts Our Price: $230.00 Product Code: WRE-A-KIT Description WRE A Kits are required when using our custom Buick 3.8L V6 billet roller camshafts. In addition to this, the front cover must be spotfaced. Contact us if you require spotfacing. The WRE A Kit Contains: Distributor Drive Gear Eccentric Eliminator Thrust Spacer Thrust Bearing Cam Bolt Button Cam Bolt Washer Special Key Button Shims This kit, along with spot facing the front cover, gives you the ability to run our billet roller camshafts in an even fire 3.8L Turbo Buick V6 engine. Part Number: WRE A Kit
Hopefully , if Derek has access to a good lathe and tooling, my cam will get cut properly to custom fit a Torrington bearing and washer setup. Pretty sure I've got it dialed in. My T/A roller cam shoulder needs .060 taken off, for perfect vertical chain to block alignment, and an additional .210 length of shoulder o.d. to install this Torrington setup. I could put a .060 shim behind crank gear but don't want to move crank gear out farther than it is. Supprised that fuel pump arm wasn't rubbing chain at all, the way it was. There is approx .270 length to work with to fit this setup in. It'll fit pretty well. Been looking on Torrington site. Even the o.d. will be large enough to locate outside of galled block area, so maybe no block face repair needed. Don't worry, it'll be much better than it was........hopefully bullet proof unless the needles let go....
a) looked at the kit, blew it to see it better and how b) wait for the snow to stop to go to garage and look at cam c) now I understand and wish I had a bigger lathe d) best news since sliced bread for fixing block rub. but will it fix gear wear
John, this pic is the setup that will solve the block issue. As far as the gear wear, I'll set everything up, use gear marking compound to check pattern on both dist & cam gear mesh, with only cam, crank, t/c & timing gearset, eccentric & cam dist gear installed so I can feel the smoothness, drag (if any) and any tight/ loose condition. Cam button will stay the same. I could shim dist gear some or shim dist body collar up if needed for perfect mesh. As far as the torque of rotation issue, don't think that can be eliminated
That's what it looks like to fit everything in, and have a large enough flat area for the o.d. of the unitized Torrington setup to locate against.
Would a bronze thrust bearing between the cam and block work as good as a needle roller thrust bearing.? https://www.mcmaster.com/#bronze-thrust-washers/=1an5gy3 I'm sure the V6 guys have tested them thoroughly. I'd still be worried about a bearing failure with little rollers scattering all over inside my front cover. FYI, Got my bowls roughed out, and my heat crossover filled with aluminum. They are looking sweet. I'll start a thread when I get the porting finished.
as we know, bronze material can be made with a whole bunch of combo's. which one would you take.......lol
and then possibly use these for cam bearings. need to modify front one https://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-rolling-element-thrust-bearings/=1an5ms7 it's all easy stuff when the right parts become available. lol
if they make this a size we need.. http://www.skf.com/us/products/bear...t-rolling-bearings/index.html?designation=NKX 50&unit=imperialUnit
The unitized thrust bearing the V6 turbo guys use is shielded, and basically fully encased, so maybe the needle rollers would stay somewhat contained before they scatter throughout the engine on mishap. They are the same type you have in your transmission!!! For blocked crossovers, I made brass plugs, they extend way into the port and I contoured them to match the shape of the port.
looking at these now, the question I have is how does it hold the Torrington together. chevy, ford and dodge I think they all have plates to hold the c/shaft in. other than a cam button, we do not. how do you stop the cam from banging in and out of the bearing? bearings require minimal or no movement to survive. just questions we all want to know.........btw, short_crank, you're a pia(kidding). you get me started on the unknown and I will find an answer.
John, there are either housing mount or shaft piloted, so with lack of housing or bearing plate for containment, Turbo boys use the shaft piloted style. They also recess the dist cam gear to make more room for their thrust bearing'd cam bumper, which may not be absolutely needed.
I thought about blocking my crossovers that way. I decided to fill them, to hopefully have some material to shape the back of the bowl. We'll see if it works.
Listen here, I have a dozen 455's laying around, and enough good parts to build a 494cu short block, and I'm putting together a stroker 350. You know why that is? Partially because of your 600 page thread (yes I read it all), and partially because of other guys here. The idea intrigues me. So let me ask you, Who's the pia?
If I did add a bronze thrust bearing, I think I would machine some slots in it like the thrust bearings on the #3 main journal.
mike, I have 2 455's for my 73 and a boatload of 350's and I'm out of room. I might just figure a patch for mine and hope for 8.5's next year and be done with it. I have 2 4.1's for the next dragster project.