[DeTomaso] Cam walk.

[jderyke at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/5/10 3:39:46 PM, hemipanter at hemipanter.se writes:

> Hav not been very much talk about "cam walk" on this board....
> 
Thats likely because it doesn't affect pushrod Fords with their stock front 
cam retainer plate, not used by GM until the LS-series engines copied that 
from Ford as well.  And the modular Fords don't have any such problems. On 
rare occasions a pushrod Ford retainer plate will wear and allow some cam 
movement, as happened a year or so ago to Jorn Olsen in Norway with his hot 
Fontana, but its not generally the problem it is with other brands of engines. 
New hardened plates in several designs- including roller thrust bearing 
types- are still available from Ford.

Plus, cam walk is more of a problem when running roller cams rather than on 
flat-tappet, and roller cams don't seem to be that popular in 351-C street 
cars nowadays. I only know of a few out of hundreds of U.S Panteras. 
Possibly because -A- roller cams are steel and -B- 351-Cs have enough trouble with 
stock distributor drive gears on iron cams. Steel cams require steel gears; 
the prime source of good steel drive gears was Crane, and supplies of gears 
from the new owners of Crane Cams are reportedly irregular. I haven't heard 
much about droves of Cleveland owners looking for roller cams these days. 
Doesn't your Hemi use a front cam retainer to hold things in position? It's 
been too long since I did anything with 426 Hemis.... J Deryke