The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Bang Goes the Cam Gear ??

I had the cam gear go away on my 235 and it sounded just like what happened to you. My engine was as stock 235 and the valves were clear of the pistons. The engine was stuck and I dropped the pan to see what the problem was. With the cam out of time the crankshaft will rotate around and the crank throws will hit the cam shaft. If you look at the cam shaft you will see flat spots on the cam shaft so when the cam is in time with the crankshaft the throws will just miss the cam shaft while the engine is turning. When the cam gear looses a tooth the cam will be out of time and the crank shaft will start to strike the camshaft as high end of the crank rotates past the camshaft. That noise or banging you hear is the crank shaft hitting the camshaft as it rotates around. On my engine the crank shaft was jammed against the camshaft and would not turn. I had to turn the crank shaft backwards to free up the chrank. I also checked the cam for straightness before reinstallation.

John