engine cam bearing oil restrictor install,yes or no

I am using a set of bearings with a groove on the outside , and the entry hole at 4 o'clock

Yes. Do it. Won't hurt a thing. I saw ONE lifter bushing failure BUT it was an aluminum block run by a drag race team.

It probably happened at 10,000 rpm with a mechanical solid roller lifter camshaft. Very unlikely that would happen even with a NASCAR race engine.

I installed both the cam bearing restrictors and the lifter bore bushings. Engine runs great with plenty of oil pressure using a stock oil pump. I'll let you know how well it holds up in a few years. So far 2,000 miles all is good.

I did the same as Ital Ford and MkIV...

Lifter Bore Bushings and the Cam Restrictor Bearings (groove on the backside, and clocked to 4:00).

We (4280/MkIv, mostly) also did numerous other oiling upgrades, including:

Ported Oil Pump / Block / Filter Feeds

Higher Pressure Spring

Drilled Squirter Hole for Distributer Gear in Gallery Plug

Thrust Bearing Oil Feed Hole (#3 Bearing Face)

I have about 1500 miles on mine, great cold & hot oil pressure.

Give me a couple years to report, as well.

Rocky

Hi Italford, did you use the restrictor plugs or the cam bearing mod?

Hi Rocky, what is the brand and part number of the cam bearings you used? Also understand about the squiter hole in the gallery plug but not sure what you did with the thrust bearing feed hole and would like to here more about the modification.
Thanks Mark

I sourced the Camshaft Bearings from T Meyer...

http://www.tmeyerinc.com/default.asp

They look to be a machined set of Dura-Bond F26 bearings with the oiling restrictors machined into the back of the bearing surface.

The thrust bearing oiling mod consists of drilling a small (.030") hole through the #3 main bearing upper insert half and the #3 main journal into the oil feed gallery. You drill on the thrust bearing side (obviously).

Once you have this hole - the pressure feed force-lubricates the thrust surface of the crank.

The crank gets loaded whenever you push in the clutch.

It is described in the November 2012 POCA Newsletter on Page 13, in an article by some guy named Jack DeRyke. I'm not sure if this DeRyke guy is familiar with our engines or not, but it seemed like a good mod to me.

Jack drilled the hole with a long, flexible aircraft bit, but I was able to do mine with a small, battery powered dremmel pistol type deal.

Good Luck -

Rocky

quote:

Originally posted by Rocky:
I sourced the Camshaft Bearings from T Meyer...

http://www.tmeyerinc.com/default.asp

They look to be a machined set of Dura-Bond F26 bearings with the oiling restrictors machined into the back of the bearing surface.

The thrust bearing oiling mod consists of drilling a small (.030") hole through the #3 main bearing upper insert half and the #3 main journal into the oil feed gallery. You drill on the thrust bearing side (obviously).

Once you have this hole - the pressure feed force-lubricates the thrust surface of the crank.

The crank gets loaded whenever you push in the clutch.

It is described in the November 2012 POCA Newsletter on Page 13, in an article by some guy named Jack DeRyke. I'm not sure if this DeRyke guy is familiar with our engines or not, but it seemed like a good mod to me.

Jack drilled the hole with a long, flexible aircraft bit, but I was able to do mine with a small, battery powered dremmel pistol type deal.

Good Luck -

Rocky

Hello Rocky; Is it possible for you to post the POCA article?...I'm interested in reading/viewing the modification as I'm sure others are also...THANKS!!!...Mark

I have never heard or read of any engine, since the 1970s, ever having a valve train or bearing under-lubrication problem stemming from the installation of tappet bore bushings or cam bearing restrictors. Regardless if those bushings and/or restrictors were installed by the owner, by me, or by anyone else. PERIOD. This includes the engine in my daily driver Mach 1 Mustang which had over 300,000 miles on the engine when my teenage son took it for its last drive (i.e. a disastrous joy ride). I am not logged onto the internet under a pseudonym, I use my actual name. I put my reputation on the line with every recommendation I make. My reputation is important to me. If there were a problem, I would not continue to advocate the use of bushings or restrictors.

Here's a statement from a gentleman who was a Ford dealership mechanic in the 1970s:

quote:

I worked as a Ford dealership mechanic for 14 years, starting back in 1970. I replaced many main and rod bearings in the 351C and 400M engines. Those cars and pickup trucks were driven on the street and probably by older drivers. They didn't even have high miles and the engines were lucky to see 4000 RPM's. The mains and rods would become so worn, the oil pressure warning light would flicker on when the engine was hot, during idle and low RPM's. These engines were known for their oiling problems.

This mechanic's experience with 351C bearing wear was my experience too. We're not talking about high rpm race engines, we're talking about poor lubrication system performance and excessive bearing wear of street engines used for typical transportation. High rpm racing just made things worse.

Everyone notices a marked improvement in lubrication system performance when the bushings are installed, most comment they would never build another 351C without them. Keep in mind that a lot of oil passes through a 0.060" orifice. Also keep in mind that in the mid to late 1970s Ford sold a bushing installation kit (under the table) very similar to Denny's kit. By doing so they were acknowledging the 351C lubrication system had a problem, and they considered the tappet bore bushings the best method to correct it. If all that was required was drilling out a couple of passages we would have known about it.

I hope you don't think badly of me for opening this discussion but I think its a very important topic to cover before a rebuild. And George forgive me for doubting your recommendations. Like most people I got advice from a lot of different sources including engine rebuilders, all saying they are correct. In the end its all just words you put your own money behind without prove their advice works.
My story is, I had my engine rebuilt by a shop specializing in racing engines. Willing to spend some extra money to get good work, its only now years after the rebuild (I parted out the car and engine has been in storage for a number of years) that I find the mistakes. Cylinders not bored correctly, block decked too much and not perpendicular to the cylinder bores, front cam bearing set to far in, did not replace stock 4v valves as requested and did not install cam bearing restrictors as requested. I also had a set of Australian 302 heads rebuilt and now find they machined the pedestals too low( too much material removed). When I disassembled the engine, the crank and connecting rod bearings were worn to copper and this was a low mileage engine after the first rebuild!,and the cam bearings were worn and chipping away also.
Now fixing all the problems with the help of a local man specializing in Cleveland's, I found he installed the front cam bearing not as per the ford spec's(too far in) exposing more of the oil passage but he said to leave it that way. This man has been racing Cleveland's for years with his own modifications without bearing problems. But not wanting the same problems again I'm questioning everything now.
So posting the question, I hoped to get the evidence I was looking for to make a sound decision. George just to add, your sticky on Cleveland's is the best info I have come across, thanks for posting.
Thanks for posting the reply's guys, I decided to go with the restrictors so the short block is coming apart again and the restrictors are going in.

Hi Italford, did you use the restrictor plugs or the cam bearing mod?

I went with the restrictor plugs per George's stiky.