[Larry J]

I am rebuilding a 1938 Olds Touring Sedan and have the 257 stright 8 engine apart. I have removed the head and opened all of the valves with a piece of 1/4 inch copper tubing. I have also wired up the lifters and removed the oil pan. As far as I can tell from the service manual the camshaft should just slide out but it will not. I can get the shaft to move forward about 1/8 inch but no more than that. I have also tried knocking it out from the back side without any success. Any thoughts or trick of the trade? Thanks in advance for any advice.

LJ

[keiser31]

Is there an oil pump shaft or distributor shaft hanging it up, maybe?

[Larry J]

Nope - I have removed both the oil pump and distributor as well as the fuel pump. I can't see anything hanging up from the inside.

[Robin Coleman]

Once again, this is going to sound stupid and pretentious, but every cam I have ever seen has a bolted on retainer behind the drive gear. Does this cam have one? I will admit I am far from an expert on older cars. My diesel mechanics instructor told me over 38 years ago to check the obvious first, and I was surpirsed to find this was often the case, as in a farmer telling me his tractor suddenly quit, swearing he had just filled it with fuel. Guess what, a peek in the tank showed me it was dry.

[keiser31]

Robin...I have also seen those bolt on retainers.

Before you consider my 2 cents worth, please investigate all other possibilities first.

The liklihood of the camshaft sliding out slick and smooth is probably not possible because of different wear patterns. I don't know this is a fact in your case but you should keep it in mind. True, it was installed by someone who just slid it in but after a lot of turning,things do change. Does the camshaft turn easy in the bore and then fetch up when you pull out to that 1/8" point? My bet is yes and you will need to pull it out with some device.

[stude8]

I would side with Robin that there maybe a front retaining/thrust flange behind the timing gear. Have you removed the timing gear from the camshaft yet?? Most timing gears of that age had clearance opening in the gear web to privide for removing the retaining flange bolts. Obviously they are only 180 degrees apart and unless the cam is rotated to the right position you might not even see the bolt hex heads.

There is also the other possibility one or more camshaft journals was not perfectly aligned in the cam bearing and has a build up of varnish that is galling in the bearing ID.
Stude8

[boettger]

First of all be sure the tappet adjustments are all the way in. In some cases that still will not provide enough clearance. In that case the valves will have to be removed and the tappetts secured in thier full up position. I would bet that a cam lobe is hitting a tappett that is not fully retracted.

[Restorer32]

Sometimes the cam is held in place by "set" screws thru the block and into a grove in the camshaft bearing journals. Look for 1 or more such screws adjacent to the cam bearings.

[Restorer32]

groove not grove...geeze