The Cam broke the engine!!?

[hydroli]

Those who seen the tread, racing cam = nomore power will remind how much trouble I had just to make run the engine straight. The end of the story is that I broke the bottom end.

My question is, does every chevette cams are plugged on the end where the three bolts cover goes? Mine is open, no plug in the hole, meaning that it probably had a drastic effect on the oil pressure. I have serious doubts that this missing cap and the noise coming from the valve train were cause and effect.

Does anyone knows if it always have to be a plug on the end of the cam?

[DOCTOR FIELDS]

Yes, the cam is supposed to have a plug in the end.

What did you break in the bottom end? I find it unlikely, that installing a racing cam would cause lower end failure.

[hydroli]

It appears that unlike the stock cam, the lunati cam I bought didn't have a plug at the end of the cam to force oil to pass through the oiling holes. I think that it could have caused a oil pressure drop. No pressure= crank failure. The crank broke 2 days after I replaced the cam and a noise comming from the lifters started just after I installed it, maybe caused by a pressure drop..?

I'm just wondering if there are some cams that are not plugged like mine..?

[DOCTOR FIELDS]

I believe you had other problems in the bottom end if the crank broke. Even without that plug in the end of the cam (I've accidently ran one without it) the oil pump creates enough pressure to get plenty of oil to the crank. If anything, you would have cam or follower failure. Was this a stock bottom end or had you worked on it?

[hydroli]

The bottom end was all stock, no modifications. There are some marks on the cam journals, but I think it's still usable, lobes are clean. As you said, it should be a plug, I'll fix it so it can be used again.

Thanks for your help Fields.