Timing chain & gears question

I am going to bring this back up....the perfect storm....  I posted video of the latest 343 on my run stand.  On assembly of the engine, like most of us, I checked everything.  Engine ran on the stand great, no issues, as I was tearing down to paint, I noticed the distributor gear was pretty dry..looked at the cam drive gear is was not real wet either.  I know of the newer cam gear issues and alignment.  I checked the oil transfer hole on the block side of the cam gear...yes it was off, but when mated to a (not the) cam, I blew air pressure through the hole and it flowed fine.  So as I tore back into the engine to see what happened, I pulled the gear retaining bolt and washer, dry inside....then pulled th efuel pump ecentric, all dry, cam timing gear......dry, up to the oil that came dripping out the camshaft oil transfer hole.  Then I looked at the hole in the cam in relation to the oil transfer hole in the gear....NOT aligned.  Dug out the cam I checked the airflow with and they were not at the same place, very close but off enough the block the oil.  I machined the oil transfer hole in the cam gear wider to catch the mating cam hole.....I thought I went far enough in this check, but I guess a stack up of tolerances of the Comp Cams Roller Timing set (I think really a SA gear piece by P/N) and the installed camshaft were not playing nice together.

I have used Cloyes and SA in most of my motors (of multiple makes). Since I'm a tinkerer and will never have a motor together for 100k miles without changing cams, etc., I have never had a problem with a double roller chain set, even the budget ones have never presented a problem. The AMC oil slot is the only thing I would worry about and even that is an easy fix (though it's kinda sad that it's necessary). Most sets are now made by the finest oriental craftsmen unless you are prepared to pay pretty good coin for an American made one. If it was a common failure item, I wouldn't scrimp. I am willing to spend some serious dough whenever it's necessary, but IMO a high dollar timing chain is poor return on investment.

Rick,

sweatlock wrote: I guess what I'm asking then if they all need work, is which set needs the least amount of rework or 'massaging' to be good, and which sets to simply avoid? Also, when closing off the grooves, what method is best? I've heard of brazing and (believe it or not) JB Weld being used.

Not to mention RTV silicone as well. - not recommended.  The Cloys is better as far as the oil cavity location where the oil oil from the cam lines up..... depending on cam.  That is just it, you have to correct that cavity and the 6 slots on the front.  It does have a little better transfer slot but even that should be checked.

Perfect - that's what I was looking for.

Thanks!

Best regards,

Glynn