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Did not use Torrington bearing on cam gear - did I kill my engine?
I just did my first cam swap, new LS7 lifters, new springs, etc.
I now realise when putting it back together, I didn't use the Torrington bearing on the cam. The stock cam gear didnt include one, so at the time I didnt think to put one on (in fact I didnt even notice it in the box).
Fast forward, on start up things were nice, and a few minutes in I start getting lifter noise. I shut things down, and start to diagnose.
My pushrod preload seems fine, my oil pressure is good (40psi), so I started going through what I may have stuffed up, then I realise that I didnt use the Torrington bearing that cam with my cam kit. I had about 0.1 inch play (in and out on the cam), but spoke to a friend that had seen something similar on a different engine, so didnt think much of it.
Is it possible that by not using the Torrington bearing, that I have killed my new lifters? Is it ultra important to use? Or should I be looking elsewhere for the cause?
If you're using a factory timing chain/gear set, then you don't use the bearing.
The cam retainer plate sets the distance the step on the front cam journal can move in the forward direction.
The cam retainer plate sets the distance the cam gear can move in the rearward direction.
So, the cam and cam gear are bolted together and the cam retainer plate is stationary and bolted to the block, this allows the cam/gear to "float" in between them.
.1" of end play isn't all that bad. There's WAY more than that on either side of the usual track on the lobes left by the bearing. Just look at any used cam.
More likely, if your timing set (you don't say which one it is??) needed the bearing but you didn't use it, then some surface of the sprocket that isn't meant to be a bearing, was forced to act as such; and it, or the cam retainer plate, or both, might be fornicated. It's also possible that the chain may have been stressed by side loading it.
I doubt the cam is affected in the least. Figure out whether your unspecified timing set needs the Torrington; if it does, get a new plate, a new cam sprocket, and a new chain (the C5R chain would be a good upgrade if your sprockets support it); and this time, install the Torrington.
Thanks for your prompt replies - much appreciated.
I had to change from the factory timing gear, as the new cam is 3-bolt, the old cam was 1 bolt.
I understand it is not ideal to have 0.1 inch camshaft endplay, and in hindsight I should have put it in, but, would this kill the lifters? The car hasn't actually even been driven yet (just run for a few minutes), as I am trying to diagnose whether this may have killed my lifters, or whether I should be looking elsewhere?
Last thing I want to do is install that bearing, check everything out, and then kill things a second time around. Thanks!
If you have too much end play you'll get a fugly pattern on the lifters, at least thats what the old SBC engines do, eventually killing the lobes.. YMMV,, Haven't tried it on a LS motor.. Thats why they sold the "cam button" that went at the back of the cam on some of the older motors..
04-17-2018, 06:17 AM
Did not use Torrington bearing on cam gear - did I kill my engine? 
