After much looking around trying to identify just what a thrust plate for the cam in a 4.0 is I finally got some good pictures.

Now I understand how it works and that's what was on my engine previously. Riddle me this... how did I have cam walk if I had the thrust plate in there previously Marty. ? Wouldn't the thrust plate basically have to be destroyed to allow the cam to go anywhere?

I'm going down to the speed shop tomorrow to identify exactly which cam I have in there. They told me they were able to reuse my timing gear setup from before... but that shouldn't be possible since the snouts are different. So either I inadvertently got the right cam from summit, or they rigged something up. either way I'm going to find out with my own two eyes tomorrow what exactly is going on down there.

 

It is possible that Golen used the cam retainer plate and ? grind cam and properly length pushrods, but with the Mopar 'purple' cam, you would have had to use the old style pin and spring and old style timing chain and sprockets and different length pushrods.


The pre'98 cams and all aftermarket cams and the front of the cam is large, the size of the cam journal.


The '99+ with the cam retainer plate will have a single bolt in the center of the cam and is smaller and a slot for a woodruff key.


After hearing more details of what happened to your engine, here is a new possibility of the scenario.
The trans sitting out for 1 year is fine. When the engine and trans were installed, the torque converter was not all the way seated on the trans input shaft and when all was bolted together there was binding and the TC was pushing the crankshaft forward because the TC was not seated properly. This has been well documented on the forums. With the crankshaft being pushed forward with force, it was pushing on the thrust bearing which gets wasted as well as the cam gear for the timing distributor/cam position sensor and wore them and the thrust bearing shavings went all thru the engine and took out the cam bearings. This would also put force on the trans input shaft and push it into the trans and wear it out.
Now the new shop puts in the cam you wanted and installed the 'purple' cam which requires the old style cam timing chain and different pushrods and if not set up perfectly, the cam walks forward and backwards and takes out the cam bearings.


Because you have the new style block with the cam retainer plate capability, I would definitely get a Jones cam, he recommended the 'boosted' cam for like $250 and shipping. IIRC it was less than 2 weeks to order and receive.


My block and head are going to the shop this week for machining and assembly. So unfortunately my cam is not available. Mike Jones is very good.
Then new springs for your head, that is a bit more difficult as there are not many to choose from. The Mopar Performance springs are no longer available.


When reinstalling the engine and trans, slide the TC all the way on the trans input shaft and get it fully seated. Have the flex plate bolted to the engine/crank. Assemble and line up the mating bolt holes and bolts and bolt the trans and engine together. Now rotate the flex plate and TC and bolt them together. This way the TC is fully seated onto the trans input shaft.

 

Half way down the page is info about valve springs-

http://jeepm62superchargerkit.blogsp...p/misc-xj.html

 

New style cam and sprocket, '99+, single bolt, can't see cam retainer plate-

 

New style '99+ cam nose, single bolt

 

Cam retainer plate-

 

Double chain only for old style cams.
Single chain for new cam, nobody makes a double roller chain for new cam style.

 

Front nose of early cam pre-'98, bigger end with single pin to locate sprocket

 

More good pictures and cams. 'Putting an early cam in late block'


http://www.jeepstrokers.com/forum/vi...php?f=5&t=2064

 

That's what I was looking at last night. Stock OEM camshaft if is then.

BTW, EngineTech makes the camshaft with the keynose for 99 and up model 4.0's. I found it on RockAuto.com and called them to verify the cam-sprocket differences between part number ES242 and ES243.

...now I just need to find a thrust plate.

 

Get a Jones cam, the stock cam is waaay tooo small for a 4.6L and a supercharger. You will be leaving probably at least 50-75 HP on the table with using a stock cam with the 4.6L and SC.

? dealer item.

You will wail 1 week for the stock cam from RockAuto or 2 weeks for a cam from Jones.

 

I hope that EngineTech cam has the 'wide' lobes and not the 'skinny' lobes.

 

How much was the cam retainer plate and bolts from the dealer?

 

$9.25. Plus $11.25 shipping. The cam retainer bolt for it was 2.25 and the same for shipping too.

 

I completely forgot about the lobe width consideration. I wonder if Erson camshafts come with the wider lobes. I didn't pay any attention to it when I built the last stroker but it lasted over 15000 miles without a problem before I sold it.

I do wonder if lobe width is a real factor given all of the other variables that are known to cause cam failure. Do you know anyone, that without a shadow of a doubt, didn't have any other possible causes of a cam-lobe wipeout... other than the lobes were just skinnier. ? Given all I have learned about things that do definitely cause cam failures (excessive valve spring pressure, collapsed lifters, using synthetic oils, fram filters, improper break in, not using zinc additives with oil changes) are the lobes being a little bit skinnier a verified problem?

I'll test that myth. I'm tired of playing the waiting game on this thing and fully accept the consequences of learning the hard way. I do all of my own maintenance so we'll see if this is a myth based on what seems like a logical answer, or actual fact.

Stay tuned.