GlenH

Hey, Moses...I didn't remove the camshaft from the engine. I think we were on to something with the cam being ground incorrectly causing forward thrusting of the cam. I performed the front cover modification by drilling a .030 hole in the output passage of the oil pump at an angle from the inside of the hole, upwards toward the distributor/cam gear. With the cover on the bench I hooked up an oil supply reservoir to the pump inlet side of the cover then plugged the outlet side and turned the pump with a drill. Oil shot out at a steady stream and then I peened the hole over slightly to cause a spray pattern. After reinstalling the cover, I started the motor without the fuel pump installed and saw oil spraying everywhere and had 35 psi oil pressure warm. This is the link to the procedure I used. https://youtu.be/5CQx6t4SvMc?feature=shared. It looked as though the cam was staying pushed back against the block because while running and revving the motor, the cam wasn't walking back and forth. The oil coming out of the fuel pump hole was getting slung off the chain so I am confident everything is getting lubed well. The customer was complaining about a whining noise which I don't hear now. I'm calling this fixed, and if anything changes, I'll chime back in. Thanks for the input, Moses. Happy Wrenching!

Moses, thanks for the response. The rebuild on this motor is not very old, but I don't know the quality of the work. This has been through a few owners since the build and they get frustrated and patch it long enough to sell it. This owner wants it right and so do I. I might do the cover mod as well as replaceing the thrust button and spring. The size they use for the mod is a 1/64th drill bit, and then they deform the hole to make a spray pattern. Looks like it would give plenty of oil to the gears without sacrificing volume or pressure to the rest of the motor. The only thing I could see the cause of the cam to walk forward is lifter pressure on the lobe, but is that valve spring pressure or cam lobe grind? I don't want to replace the cam/lifters and still have the same issue. Maybe a stronger thrust button and the cover mod is my best bet. I have heard of the melling kits causing excessive drag on the oil pump drive which can shear the distributor pin. I'll try the cover mod and new thrust button and let you know what I find. Thanks for the input, Moses.

Yes, it does have the eccentric in place and facing the correct direction. I can see the hole in the camshaft and it lines up with the keyway slot in the eccentric and the cam gear. the issue I'm seeing is the cam has to be pressed up hard against the block to get any oil through the hole. It does have the button and spring, but I'm not sure that is enough to push the cam back hard enough to enable the bleed hole to feed oil forward. I've seen some videos on the front cover being modified at the main oil feed with a small hole to direct oil up on to the gears and chain. Have you seen this done, And what is your feeling on this mod? Thanks for your input.

I have a 68 Camando with the 225 V-6. This Jeep was bought by my customer a short time ago and has not been able to drive it because it keeps destroying distibutor drive and driven gears. Not getting oil to the timing chain area. Oil pressure is 40 psi cold, oil to rocker arms is good. Pulled the distributor and manually primed the pump and get 40 PSI, but no oil to the chain area. Looking at the factory oiling diagram it shows oil squirting forward through the cam gears and spacer. Pulling the cover off, and the timing gers off, I can see a small hole drilled in the cam toward the front cam bearing, but pressurizing the oiling system with the cover off, i'm getting oil seeping from the cam and crank bearings, but nothing from the oiling hole in the cam. How are the front gears and chain oiled? Should I modify the timing cover by drilling a small spray hole into the main feed port to spray oil everywhere? Any advice is welcome. I'm a 40 year ASE Master Tech, but this one is eluding me.