[lumpy12]

Help! I took an Edelbrock gear drive off my hydraulic cam 350 Chevy and replaced it with a Melling double roller chainset. I forgot to remove the thrust washer that goes behind the cam sprocket against the block.
The chain and sprockets went on just fine and the cam bolts went in straight and bottomed out with finger tightness. When I tightened the cam bolts, the cam didn't walk. I used the cam button that was already there and the chain had some slack when I prelubed it.

What I didn't do was run a straight edge to check the gear alignment ......

The face of the thrust washer felt flush with the end of the cam.

Everything went together just fine and I ran the motor and it's very happy. Do I need to get the thrust washer out of there?

Thanks!

 

[cobalt327]

Help! I took an Edelbrock gear drive off my hydraulic cam 350 Chevy and replaced it with a Melling double roller chainset. I forgot to remove the thrust washer that goes behind the cam sprocket against the block.
The chain and sprockets went on just fine and the cam bolts went in straight and bottomed out with finger tightness. When I tightened the cam bolts, the cam didn't walk. I used the cam button that was already there and the chain had some slack when I prelubed it.

What I didn't do was run a straight edge to check the gear alignment ......

The face of the thrust washer felt flush with the end of the cam.

Everything went together just fine and I ran the motor and it's very happy. Do I need to get the thrust washer out of there?

Thanks!

It should have been removed- unless the face of the block was machined to offset the thickness of the thrust washer. If not, I'd feel a lot better w/it removed.

That said, there is some leeway. The gear teeth aren't as wide as the chain link is wide, so if the thickness of the thrust washer is not greater than the difference in the gear thickness compared to the width of the chain link, there won't be an immediate failure.

 

[lumpy12]

Thanks Cobalt327,

I'm calling Edelbrock tech this morning to see what they say but I'm planning on taking it out anyways. The face of the thrust washer felt flush with the end of the cam, but I'm not comfy leaving it in there.

Thanks!