Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications 3.0L Duratec Intersting .... CAMS

There are small backer plates on the cams that I still have around. Nothing large enough to drill and tap for adjustment bolts though. You'd have to machine off the old one unless there's room to just weld the new one onto the backside in halves or something. You'd have to be really careful about getting the gear aligned back up correctly, or it would change the lash clearance and chain alignment... Looks fairly easy if someone knows a good machine shop...

I agree, getting it lined back up is the trick.
There are only two ways to get the sprocket off, cut it off or pull it. However, I would say that pulling it would likely distort the cam as these are tubular camshafts with pressed on pieces with a ball bearing pressed through the tube after all pieces are in place to distort the metal from the inside.
Seems to me that cutting it would be the most likely option with a backing plate welded on, some machining to the sprocket and the plate to get them to line back up and of course the hole drilling.
Not a bad project if you could afford it. Should be cheaper than buying new cams by far.

Ok let's say for arguments sake one could pull the gear without distoring the shaft.

Next you would weld the tapped backplate onto the shaft (hopefully the heat from the weld won't distort the shaft).

Now you machine the stock gear to remove as much of the stock back plate without comprimising integrity. Cut the 3 holes for the bolts and bore out the center of the gear.

Before you pulled the gear, you would of been smart and marked/notched it's location on the shaft, so you put it back on and tighten it at this location.

If you welded the new backing plate at the proper locatin everything should line up.

So as long as you can pull the gear and weld onto the shaft without distorting it, this can work right? If so I'll see when my Brother In Law goes back on midnights (so he can do the machine work for me) and get him to pull this off on my extra set of 2.5L cams - unless of course my thoery has flaws.

Actually Puck, getting everything lined up "rotationally" so to speak, would be easy as attaching degree wheels to the sprockets and crank. Measure an assembled engine before you take it down to know how many degrees off of TDC the valve opens/closes, then you would know how far from straight up you'd be once the adjustables are done. No need to be dead on with the machining/welding since the cams would now be adjustable. That's as easy as pie. Then you're just dyno runs away from tuning them in.

I'll bust open a 3L cam tonight to see how those sprockets come off for sure... That should save you guys some speculation and time/money if you choose to experiment with "live" cams. Now, where the 3 pound sledge...

BTW, those buttons on the ends of those cams pictured don't look like the stock ones to me. I seem to remember a larger center hole with a 3/8" oblong-ish hole in the center. Press in, or screw in?

Man maybe I should put that mill and lathe to work in the basement.

Hmmmmmm, this is a stock SVT left exhaust cam gear. This might make it easier to compare against those adjustable cam gears......atleast online

swazo... can you take pics of the other side of the gear (back side)?

Bam

The plot thickens......

Thanks for the pics Swazo, I didn't have time to play with my extra cams last night. It looks as if a rear mounting plate would be fairly easy to make. Anybody else hear the Mission Impossible theme in their head? DUNT de DUNT da da da DUNT de DUNT da da da... do de do... do de do...