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Secondary Tensioner Issue with Cams

4K views 9 replies 5 participants last post by  utfan98 
#1 ·
Has anyone encountered this problem with cams on the passenger side of the engine(Right hand side)?

Here is a picture



From what we can tell the front portion of the cam seems to be sticking out further then the left hand side, we just used on finger on a screw driver and measured really crude.

I am at a loss here, we used the tensioners off my brothers Mach 1 motor and its the same problem so it isn't the tensioner being wrong. Seems like something is wrong with my cams on that side that I bought.

I bought the cams used off a guy on corral, the left hand side cams line up and the chain sits on the secondary tensioner nice, but the right hand side is off by a county mile.

Let me know please,
Schyler
 
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#2 ·
You need to turn the cam gears around. They need to be install with the flange outward and the teeth inward.
 
#3 ·
If that is the case then I need to have the camshaft key slot ground deeper and fully flush like the 03-04 Cobra cams as the 97 Cobra cams have a tapering off groove that isn't full depth at the rear closest to the head. I tried throwing them on backwards last night and it wouldn't fit on deep enough.

Thanks for the reply, looks like they are going to have to get machined or I need another keyless gear.
 
#4 ·
Well I get the fun stuff it seems. I am going to have to pull the cams and have the key slot rebroached to the shoulder of the cam. Its cut on a taper right now and doesn't go to 90*. So a heads up if you have 96-98 cams check the slot first as it may need to be cut deeper like mine. I have read of numerous Mach 1 guys swapping the 96-98 intake cams with no issues so I was puzzled last night.

Thanks for the heads up diablito... I had thought they looked wrong, but with them fitting worse flipped 180* I figured something else was up.
 
#5 ·
It sure seems strange. I have built 2 engines with the cobra cams and used the 03/04 cobra cam gears.
 
#6 ·
I was puzzled last night and feel dumb now for even asking with the gears on backwards, but I know lots of guys have used these gears with no issues so I was putting them on how they fit. Figured it was a tensioner issue.

03-04 Cobra cam key slot





97 Cobra cams I am using



 
#7 ·
Just get some keyless gears or grind the "key" out of the gears you currently have. It's going to make life much easier when you degree anyway. Much less hassle than taking those cams somewhere to get cut on, IMO.
 
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