501 Rebuild camshafts?

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steve pegg
Posts: 73
Joined: 22 May 2006 19:10

501 Rebuild camshafts?

Post by steve pegg »

Hello,
I am rebuilding a 501 motor, when offering up a new camshaft, the cams are not sitting directly under the cam followers on either side. So maybe I have lost a spacer but wonder if I have been sold a 350 camshaft that is narrower? Unfortunately I do not have the original to compare.
Any thoughts , anyone, anyone got a spare 501 "J" cam?

Thanks Steve Pegg (East Sussex)
harrymuffin
Posts: 292
Joined: 07 Apr 2014 16:06
Location: west midlands

Re: 501 Rebuild camshafts?

Post by harrymuffin »

Flat cam follwers are of set so that reotate and follwer wear is more evenly distributed. On better designed engines the cam follwer surface is slightly convex to promote better rotation. As ours are flat, when they are pitted you can surface lap them with grinding paste on a piece of glass and reuse, you are unlikely to grind through the harded layer.
steve pegg
Posts: 73
Joined: 22 May 2006 19:10

Re: 501 Rebuild camshafts?

Post by steve pegg »

Thanks Harry,
It seems I have not made myself clear by pursuing brevity.
What I meant was that the center line of the cam follower is displaced from the center line of the cam lobe. Not enough for the cam lobe to overlap the followers edge but still significant to just not look right to me. This occurs when the cam is placed in either crankcase half. I have got the cam the right way round :D

Hopefully I have explained myself better this time.

Steve
morinipete
Posts: 166
Joined: 03 Jun 2007 08:45
Location: Rugby, UK

Re: 501 Rebuild camshafts?

Post by morinipete »

What Harry is saying is that it is correct that the cam follower is not in the middle of the cam lobe. The centre line of the cam follower is slightly off-set to one side. This ensures the cam follower rotates when the engine is running, to avoid the cam always hitting it in the same place (and so wearing it out). That's why it is round and not square, as on a Triumph of BSA twin for instance, to allow this to happen. It's actually a very cheap solution to what could otherwise be a very expensive problem.

Hope that make sense

Pete
SupermotoDave
Posts: 344
Joined: 13 Apr 2006 18:38
Location: Reading UK
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Re: 501 Rebuild camshafts?

Post by SupermotoDave »

What Pete said.
steve pegg
Posts: 73
Joined: 22 May 2006 19:10

Re: 501 Rebuild camshafts?

Post by steve pegg »

Hello Pete,

Thank you for the clarification, I was about to PM Harry as I realised this morning that his explanation did in fact cover my question so thank you also Harry.
My "Spider sense " was on full alert as this was not the original camshaft so I was looking for anomalies.
I can now crack on with the rebuild thank you.

Steve Pegg.
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