camshaft and distributor gear alignment

[MaxwellFox]

    Getting my front engine parts back together I have a curiosity I'd like advice on.  When I was installing the rear gear train plate back on I made a new camshaft bearing keeper bolt/pin because the old one was worn and seemed too short.  With the original bolt installed the camshaft and bearing carrier could be pushed and pulled I think about 3/16" out of the block.  I made a longer pin and checked its length and alignment and somehow the camshaft could be wiggled back and forth while gently screwing in the pin until it seemed like the keeper pin fully seated.  At this point the keeper bolt bottomed out on the block and the camshaft and bearing keeper had no more in-out play and the camshaft still rotated easily.  So I figured I was good. 

     Today I was testing for gasket thickness between the 2 gear train halves and I noticed the distributor and camshaft gears are out of alignment about 3/16".  The camshaft has a spacer/washer behind it (the parts list calls it a collar), and the distributor gear has a similar spacer/washer on the front and back.  The same arrangement as when I took it apart.

    So how can these things be misaligned?  An old auto service book refers to camshafts having an adjustable endplay system using a locating pin at the front end but I dont see how a bolt with a turned down nose could do that.  The distributor drive has about .005 axial play when the case is bolted together.  Just let it ride?  

Edited April 9, 2021 by MaxwellFox (see edit history)

[hddennis]

 Can't really be of much help here accept to say every photo in my files of a Maxwell timing case shows all 3 gears running level with each other.

 

Howard Dennis

[MaxwellFox]

From what I could see through the bolt hole the front bearing seems similar to a Model T.  My current theories are someone redrilled the locating hole and missed, or someone replaced it with a non maxwell bearing and the alignment hole isn't in the right position.  I'm thinking I'll rotate the carrier around and see if theres another pin hole.

[MaxwellFox]

Mystery solved.  There are 2 holes.  One facing the driver's side for oil feed, one facing the passenger.  The oil feed is heavily countersunk and drilled at the center of the bearing.  Both the holes are 5/16" and the locating bolt will fit in either, but of course only the locating hole is drilled in the right place for alignment.  Locating hole was mangled before I got my hands on it.