Roller cam install

A little advice please. I was looking at the TA bronze retainer plate that bolts to the block. Called them and was told it couldn't be used with the 300. Also was wondering about the bronze washer for under the shoulder. Could those of you who are running roller cams chip in here?

I know there is an adjustable retainer bolt/bumper. I just like the plate style retainer better if I can use one. I can make my own but figured, why reinvent the wheel?

Jim

 

The plate set up came along after my TA roller set up, I have the bolt bumper thingy you adjust

 

That bronze retainer looks slick but think you need to machine stock off cam shoulder to use / align it perfectly.
Bronze washer same deal. If you made your own custom bronze washer to press fit on cam, I think that would be somewhat forgiving on potential block wear.
The whole issue is chainset alignment. There should not be any cam walking like flat tappet cams except for .005 free float. If anything, chainset alignment should be ever so slightly favoring pulling cam away from block.
Maybe a perfectly placed snap ring in rear cam tunnel to prevent cam wear on block.
Jim, you're a guy that can invent something that will work just right!

 

Or weld a washer the right thickness on the rear cam plug

 

Well, the cam can't walk rearward because it has a shoulder on it. I guess you could put that bronze washer between the shoulder and the block, but probably don't need it unless the block wears in that spot. The front side of that shoulder is tapered like the inside of that bronze plate. Not real sure why they did that. But where the bronze plate has those three ears, there is no metal on the 300 block to attach it. If the two were at the top they would go into the oil galley plugs or be really close to them.

So I guess it needs to be the bolt/bumper. Mark, is there any kind of a bearing in that or does it just spin and bump off the timing cover? Kind of a pita to set that up what with test fitting and R&R on the timing cover and gasket squish.

Jim

 

Just spins and bumps off the timing cover

 

Yes it is, plus the long bolts thru water pump into block squish and compress even more after you think you have it all set.

 

Like partsrparts said, no bearing, it just bumps off the timing cover.
Yes it is a bit time consuming, a day before setting end play I'll bolt the timing cover on with gasket so the gasket compresses to an "as run" condition.
Then proceed to R/I timing cover multiple times setting end play on cam.

 

Well, there is room to bolt a plate to the block in a couple spots below the cam and I do have some 1/4" brass plate so I just might have to see what I can work up that way. Probably take less time than all that bolting and unbolting.

Jim

 

It took 4 or 5 times to get mine set with a brass bolt bumper but works fine so far