Next I installed the three oil gallery plugs at the front of the block that I had previously tapped for a 1/8” pipe plug as opposed to the factory style press in cup plugs. Don’t forget to do this before installing the timing set! Then I installed the cam gear only onto the camshaft and snugged up the retaining bolt. One thing I always check on Fords is the depth of the bolt hole in the camshaft and compare that to my installed length of the retaining bolt and washer assembly. Many people over the years have had a camshaft dowel pin shear off and cause immediate engine failure because the bolt was not properly tightened. Sometimes the bolt bottoms out in the hole instead of clamping tightly against the cam gear and sometimes it is simply just not tight enough. The dowel pin is primarily there to locate the cam assembly in relation to the crank. It does give a small amount of help in securing the cam gear in place, but the clamping force of the bolt and the friction of the cam gear against the cam face does the majority of the work. Also, I make sure to use a very beefy washer under the bolt that will not flex and give way, allowing the bolt to come loose at a later date. Then, with everything snugged up, I checked to make sure that I had a small amount (about .004”) of endplay clearance by moving the camshaft back and forth. Finally, after I was satisfied everything was okay I removed the cam gear and set it aside.
This is showing the Spirolock about to be spirolled into position. They are a pain to install but once you've done a few hundred like me you get the hang of it!
This shows the dimple in the oil ring spacer ring. This dimple must be facing down and lined up within the bore for the wrist pin.
This is the rod bolt stretch gauge. Normally I use both hands but I needed to take a picture! It fits into the dimples of the fastener and simply measures stretch.
