[Rob]

Sorry if this is a repeat, but...
when i was adjusting the valves today, i noticed that the cam was moving in and out (of the head) and was wondering if there is supposed to be a bracket to keep it from doing this or was it just built that way. The motor has been rebuilt before so my assumption is that if there was a bracket or retainer of sorts, they lost it when they did the rebuild...any help would be greatly appreciated as this is just about the only thing preventing my GT from gettin back on the road!
Thanks,
-Rob

 

[nobody]

There is a nylon bolt the screws into the center of your cam that rides against the front cam cover. Or at least there's supposed to be one.

 

[GTJIM (R.I.P.)]

Early and Late

There are two lengths of nylon cam end play bolts and the FSM shows "bashing" the metal cover with a hammer to be the way to fine tune end play ..... Opel strikes again!

 

[kwilford]

There is a nylon bolt the screws into the center of your cam that rides against the front cam cover. Or at least there's supposed to be one.

The nylon end bolt (cam button) provides a thrust point against the cam cover, for cam movement towards the front of the engine. As Grant has pointed out, the cam cover is either punched in (towards the cam button), to reduce the clearance (which is done with the cam cover in place and the clearance checked by a feeler gauge, which should be 0.004" to 0.008"), or outwards (which requires the cover be removed, hammered outward, and then re-installed, and then adjusted AGAIN as per above). There are two lengths of cam buttons, but the early one (10 bolt head, pre '73) is no longer available, but you just have to get the older (longer) one machined down a bit (instructions available from OGTS when you buy the cam button)

The cam movement backwards is controlled by the cam gear itself, with the back of the gear acting as a thrust surface against the head.

HTH

 

[Rob]

Thanks you guys, your info and whatnot helped a lot!
-Rob