TR4/4A TR4 Camshaft Oil Plug-Help

[KVH]

I question my sanity at times.

I installed my camshaft with some difficulty. The front gear sprocket for the cam was a hard to keep square to the cam face, and the two front securing bolts did little to help.

So, not thinking, I used a rubber hammer and a small piece of wood to knock the sprocket tightly onto the round protrusion on the front center of the cam. I did this several times, until I realized it wasn't helping. I hit it with that rubber hammer about 8 times.

Finally I just somehow kept everything square enough and it all bolted up very nicely. Trust me, the rubber hammer was a silly, unnecessary waste.

However, I now realize that in my delirious state I was smacking the cam back against the rear camshaft plug at the back of the engine!

Does anyone know how much clearance there should be between the plug and the rear bearing? I'm trying to figure if I knocked the plug far enough back to nearly send it into the bell housing of the transmission.

My clearance is about 3/8 of an inch, and maybe just a bit more, perhaps 13/32. I'm not sure I moved that rear plug at all, but I do worry.

Thanks.

 

[sp53]

Hi kentvill I feel your pain. I am assuming that the transmission is on the engine and the engine is in the car thus it would be a real pain to actually get clear access. If perhaps you have the head off, you might be able to look in the back with a mirror and see if there are any witness makes created by the tentative sliding plug. You might call one of those cam shaft guys, I hear so much about, and they might have a suggestion. I guess it would depend on how well you swing a hammer and how long the plug has been in there. Sometimes those things are really stuck and have to be chiseled out. I am just throwing things out there, but I guess a guy could pull the clutch inspection plate and then fill the engine with a couple of gallons of oil or to the top of the pistons whichever comes first and see if it runs out the back ( don’t start the car) If not, drain the oil out and put the normal amount in and take it from there.

 

[Moseso]

The plug is not a bearing surface -- the camshaft shouldn't touch it. If you've moved it, the only possible bad result would be oil leakage. I guess, if I were you, I'd adopt a wait-and-see attitude. If you've developed a new rear-of-engine oil leak, then it would be time to fix it. If you can detect no new oil leakage, then: no harm done.

 

[sp53]

How about this, I was wondering if the cam shaft end is bigger than the plug then the cam would hit the block and not hit the plug.

 

[KVH]

Thanks, all. As best I can tell, that plug did not move. I'll do as suggested and just watch it.