VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 1928 camshaft thrust plate

I just bought a nice 1928 camshaft off a friend of mine, but the thrust plate is stuck on the shaft.
Is there a way to free this without damage to the cam and thrust plate, looks to be made of copper, Part # 346847.
I have tried to free this, but it will not move from it's grip on the cam shaft.



Keeping vintage Chevy alive.

Highly unusual. If the cam gear is off I would use a press to remove it. When you finally get it off inspect carefully why it was stuck in the first place.

If you ruin the plate in the process, a new one is available from Garry Wallace.

A homemade tool like this help you to adjust the thrust plate without destroy it.You most use some sort of a force press

Thank's guy's
I will try this, have to see what I have for metal stock so I can make a press plate.
Will let you know how I make out.


Keeping vintage Chevy alive.

Still having problems with the cam shaft thrust plate, I have tried removing the cam shaft gear and will not come off without breaking the fiber gear.
I have soaked with varsol for several months and also heated the shaft and used a puller but with no movment, I still can't get the thrust plate to move either, I just want to get the thrust plate to rotate on the shaft.
Anyone have any other ideas on how I can free up this thrust plate without damage to the other components????
It's driving me crazy!!


Keeping vintage Chevy alive.

Try putting the whole thing in a deep freezer overnight and then put the heat to it while in the press as fast as you can. Only heat the surounding parts, not the cam.

You are going to have to sacrifice the thrust plate. You will have to use a strong press and move toward the center as far as possible. This will most likely smash the thrust plate, but may save the cam gear. There is no way you can remove the gear with a puller. That is a sure death for the gear. The thrust plate is readily available.

When you reassemble, be very careful setting the clearance as you only get one shot.

Jay,
I think using an air hammer with blunt end tool on the cam shaft end while supporting the thrust plate with a wood (or other material softer than the plate) just might move the camshaft the itsy bit needed to be able to rotate the plate vs. shaft. Have never tried to move the cam gear by this method but just may work. A penetrating oil might help to lube the parts. Or heat and cold as suggested above could also. Think the key just may be the short but powerful air hammer blows.

I do know that an air hammer does work well in removing the shackle pins from frame ends on '31-2 Chevys when other straight pressing or hammering methods damage parts.

Free at last , Thank's guy's for all your help.
5 hour's of working it, it broke loose, (what a job).lol
I installed the cam shaft and tighened it up, but now it seem's to drag when tightened up, and cam seems not to line up with the lifters( the camshaft lobes are in off to the one side of the lifters by about 1/8th+), the camshaft is going in to deep into the motor, Am I missing a spacer????
When I unscrew the thrust plate by about 1/8th everything lines up inside the motor and the cam rotate's freely.
I looked in the repair manual and has no info on this.


Keeping vintage Chevy alive.

The question is how much space you left between the cam gear and the cam shaft. It must be very close like .001 or so. You can't leave the screws holding the thrust plate loose or you will have serious accident.

There is no way to adjust the mating between the cam and the lifters. That alinment corrects itself.

Thank's Ray
I'm just dry fitting the cam for now, there will be no loose bolt's in the end.lol


Keeping vintage Chevy alive.

What finally got it loose without breaking the cam gear?

Hey Chipper
I soaked it with peretrating oil, then I took a piece of 1/4" plate steal and drilled it out to slip over camshaft ,then tap and die for the screws, then I screwed the thrust plate to the steel plate, then heated the steel plate.
I took a air hammer with a blunt end and air hammered on the 1/4" steel plate back and forth while spraying penertrating oil.
Worked it until it rotated on the camshaft, with no damage to the thrust plate or the cam gear, it was slow going but it worked.


Keeping vintage Chevy alive.

Hope you took a few pictures and plan to write an article for the G&D. Many people have tried to move the cam gear and only succeeded in damaging or destroying something. Documenting a technique to get'er done is invaluable.

Hey Chipper
I did not remove the cam gear I just had to free up the thrust plate, years of grunge and sitting unused for several year's had built up between the thrust plate and the cam gear which locked it into place, once I got that out and with the help of penetrating oil and an air hammer I was able to free it up.
I do have a extra badly rusted cam that has a good cam gear on it that I am going to try to remove as a spare, so if I find a good way to remove this gear without any damage ,I will be glad to share this info.


Keeping vintage Chevy alive.

I think Chipper is right even an article on how you freed up the thrust plate with photo's would be helpful. And if you have success with the cam gear that would be another article. Good Luck. Thank you for the information

Once you get the gear to move then removing is only doing more of what you have already done. Besides just moving the gear to increase the gap may be necessary if someone pushes the gear on too far.

I am going to try to remove the cam gear from the rusty camshaft this weekend and install it on another cam shaft that has broken teeth, how far on the cam shaft should this cam gear be installed at??? (specs)??



Keeping vintage Chevy alive.

I would leave some .001 inches. All we need is to be able to turn the cam without severe drag. Too much clearance and the cam will move fore and aft and cause problems with the lifters and the distributer drive on the 27-28 engines.

Thank's Ray
Now when you say .001 is that on the front of the cam gear on the cam shaft, or is that behind the cam gear towards the thrust plate???
On all of my camshafts the distance between thrust plate and cam gear seem to be about an 1/8 gap is this right??? these cams are stock and never been tampered with.
Or are you talking about the distance between the thrust plate and the front bearing being .001 ???
I am kinda lost on where you are getting the .001

Keeping vintage Chevy alive

The specification for the 1931 is 0.003" max. camshaft end play. Can't find it for 1928 but it should be the same as 1931. To be more clear, the gap between the cam gear and thrust plate should be less than 0.003". The thrust plate holds the camshaft in position.

Chipper has it right. You have to be careful and not press it on too far.

Soaked second rusty parts cam for 5 day's with penetrating oil, using the same method as stated in an earlier post and got the thrust plate to move again, soaked with C.L.R (calcium/lime/rust remover) and cleaned with varsol to remove any debris left over, checked the thrust plate gap on both good and bad camshafts and the gap was .001 free, with .002 on the snug side on both camshafts.(.003 a little to tight).
May have to let soak in penetrating oil a little longer for the cam gear removal.
Will post more on camshaft gear removal once penetrating oil has taken affect and hope the wife dose not kill me for spending so much time in the garage.lol


Keeping vintage Chevy alive.

old wise tale that seems to work sometimes is soak it in a bucket of water overnight +, water made the rust and sometimes it loosens it up...have no idea how, just does "sometimes"

Isn't it "old wives' tale" or isn't that politically correct.