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From: Born and Raised in South Detroit (Windsor) Ontario
'66 BB cam
Morning.....I am not a mechanic but I do have a good understanding of how an ICE works. Talking to an engine builder I mentioned the oiling issue with the '66 BB cam and original distributor and he said he had never heard of such. So my question is when using a '66 BB 3869942 with the original distributor that does not have a 360 groove is the cam specific to this application or is the rear cam bearing specific or both? I want to go with a hydraulic roller.
Thanks for your help
Ric
Find a new builder that has a clue. This is a 58 year old problem and is nothing new. If they don't know something that simple or never built one it's time to move on. And don't let them practice on your stuff. But in short YOU NEED the grove in the cam and bearing
Ric - This is JohnZ's response to that same question just a few years ago. There's nothing unique about the BB distributor oiling - oiling is only an issue with the rear cam bearing and journal on '65-'66 big-blocks (they need a grooved rear cam journal and a 3-hole rear cam bearing). BB and SB distributors are interchangeable.
I'm in the process of putting together a 66 #942 block and had Comp Cam groove the rear journal of their solid lifter cam to give you an idea of what the cam would look like with that groove cut for 65 and 66 Bigblocks.
And don't forget the cam bearing set that has that special rear bearing.
Here's a pic of the Durabond CH-9A set I'll be using.
And, as you already heard...you do need to find another machine shop.
Mike T - Prescott AZ
From: Born and Raised in South Detroit (Windsor) Ontario
Thanks Mike for the bearing info. I have used this shopped and many of my friends to build other engines for us
and never an issue. He builds many race motors and he just shrugs his shoulders when I talk original stuff, says he doesn't use stock stuff to build race motors.
Ric
...and make danged sure the machine shop puts that rear cam bearing in right. It only goes in one way, correctly. There are 3 oil holes and they're spaced at 135 degrees from the bottom hole to one of the upper holes, then 90 degrees to the other upper hole and then 135 degrees again back to the bottom. My machine shop managed to mess that up about 20 years ago. Roasted a whole bank of rocker arms and pushrods. That was an expensive warranty job for them.
'66 BB cam
