01 blue ss

iTrader: (2)

I changed the cam in a friend's car with him and the car slowly lost pressure and went all the way to zero after about a little more than and hour of driving. The cam is a TSP 228, LS7 lifters, springs and new trays. Re-used the stock timing set and threw it all together. It ran and idled fine but still needed to be tuned. Drove a bit then lost pressure. Pulled it down and the cam sprocket rubbed the retainer plate and the cam retainer plate gasket looked torn. I wouldn't think that the retainer would let the oil pressure go to zero, maybe low but not zero. I still can't see why the retainer plate was rubbing. It was bolted to the block tight. Here are some pics and maybe you guys can tell me.

DaddySS

Did you turn the cam afetr you bolted the plate on, did it turn freely?

Boost-box

iTrader: (13)

Pull the cam back out and check the bearings

wildcamaro

iTrader: (15)

I wouldn't run that cam retainer plate since some of the embossed oring is missing, that would be the cause of low/no oil pressure for sure...

jay7199

iTrader: (9)

yup, I bet this is the problem as well, replace it and see how it does OP.

joecar

How can the retainer plate gasket be torn if it was facing the block...?

Gray86hatch

iTrader: (83)

What about the bolts on the retainer that were rubbing on the gear

Tim

Old Geezer

iTrader: (3)

What Tim and Joe said^^^^^^

This made no noise when you started it?
What do the bolt heads look like?
Looks like the damage to the area around the plate bore is not the same depth, all the way around. Plate looks to have been on crooked?? [Or, left loose]
Were the bolts torqued, prior to completion of the install?
Ne of the lifters damaged from cam walk?

wildcamaro

iTrader: (15)

Yea use some blue loctite on those retainer bolts for sure...

01 blue ss

iTrader: (2)

Well what we came up with is that my buddy was kinda not double checking himself and the bolt backed out and caused the issue. I wasn't there to watch when he put the timing set together. I slid the cam in for him and had to leave then he did the rest. Picked up a new retainer plate and gasket and new sprocket. It will be back together next week and we will see how it goes.

RobsZ28

iTrader: (3)

I would pull that engine out of the car and clean the metal out of the oil. I had the same thing happen to my car I changed the cam and put too much red Loctite on the cam bolts some dripped out and hardened between the gear and the retaining plate. When I started the car and run it the loctite ate up the back of the gear causing it to walk back into the retaining plate and bolt. My plate and gear looked just like the ones in the pictures. All that metal floating around in that oil isn't good in about 100 miles it tore up the #1 rod bearing and the crank. The metal shaving floating around in the engine oil is going to cause some damage.