The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 216 camshaft to thrust bearing clearance

Per the 37 shop manual there should be .003 maximum clearance between the cam and the thrust bearing plate. I find the current clearance to be .016. Because of other problems at only 300 miles, I had to disassemble the engine, so the cam is off, and the gear has been pressed off. In talking to the machinist, he thought there was suppose to be an inner ring that is .003 thicker than the trust plate that would limit how far the gear could be pressed on. I am not aware of this and my parts books do not show it. He admits, he may have seen it in later/other engines. He had a 1940 camshaft and pressed off that gear and it didn't have the inner ring/shim either.

Our dilemma, is how to press on a new gear with .003 clearance? He says the usual means is to press it on (but with a press, all of a sudden it just snaps/slams home as far as it can go...no clearance). Then holding/supporting the cam gear, smack the end of the camshaft with a hammer as if trying to remove it, and create some clearance.

I suggested he place a .003 shim in position and then press it on. He said I'd never get the shim out...it would tear since it was so thin. Then we talked about a .002 shim and the hammer smacking to loosen it enough to remove the shims.

Now, ignoring all of the above, what is the correct way to press on a camshaft gear with .003 max clearance at the thrust bearing.

Also, the parts books show a gasket for behind the thrust bearing. I have never encountered this gasket, and I don't understand what its purpose would be anyway. In addition, the 1937 shop manual never mentions this thrust gasket in the process to determine how many gaskets to place behind the front engine mounting plate, so that the camshaft thrust plate is level with the collar of the crankshaft.

Any help is appreciated!

I've used a couple of feeler gauge blades as shims to set the end play on items such as the cam gear. It's much more durable than brass shim stock. If the parts are slamming together when they're pressed into place, there's another problem, maybe roughness on the mating parts, or a lack of lubrication. I use Never-Seez for most pressing and broaching operations, and it makes the parts slide into place smoothly.
Jerry

I hope you are not installing a replacement aluminum cam gear that way. You would be shaving out the mounting bore a little by pressing it on with out heating the gear or cooling the camshaft.

1937 had a fiber gear, so not heat being used

it "slams" into place because the are no stops involved and this one is driven by air, not a hydrualic jack with a pump handle you can go slower on and finese it into place. lube will be used, and maybe a different style press...or BFH!