Mountains Garage: 377 Small Block Chevrolet Timing Cover & Thrust Button

[@3Repete]

Holy guacamole. Down the timing cover rabbit hole! I'm about to open my 71 Corvette factory block and you are making me want to go flat tappet. I bet it's an early block without roller provision as you have. I'll have to ask the guys on Hotrodders forum. Maybe one of them will have a viable solution. Thank you so much for putting this out there.

[@1999evo1]

Good video keep up the great work ! Your info is helping people.

[@timdontwannasay5889]

Thank you!

[@GNaron]

Take a look at the Edelbrock 4860 Timing Covers. It's set up for a button and if I remember right it fits behind a short water pump.

[@mountainsgarage]

I will, Thanks!

[@terrygayman5369]

I have two 2nd gen Camaros. 434 dart small block and 383. Both hydraulic roller motors. Both have the comp cams 210 two piece timing cover. More money but already helped me out when I had to replace crank seal in 383. You are pretty limited with short water pump

[@mountainsgarage]

I ordered the Milodon cover, the description claims it will clear a short pump as well. Time will tell!

[@terrygayman5369]

@@mountainsgarage ok. 1 time I had to pull a motor just to put a timing cover gasket and crank seal on. Didn't want to chance oil pan leaking either. Didn't have to use a cam button on those tho. Hope it all works out for you.

[@gregsmith9457]

👍👍👍

[@insomniacshotrods]

Man do I feel your frustration. Made the decision to go roller in my 1st gen sbc after all the horror stories of flat cam lobes at break in. It has been over a month and I finally made the decision to go with johnson lifters after reading so many horror stories on almost every brand out there. Either broken parts, or collapsing lifters or sounds like a diesel running. I also have to use a small pump going into a 36 ford coupe, and have still not made a decision on what the best cover is. The edelbrock 4860 looks promising, so does the canton and the milodon was my choice until I seen a lot of people say the holes arent lined up right or are too big. So many choices on all this process but if you want to avoid the pitfalls you have to do your research thats for sure. I always assumed go roller its a no brainer and no problems at all no parts falling out or breaking. No such thing as a safe engine after a cam swap now a days roller or not. What part number milodon cover did you use and did you like it? Thanks for the video almost told me what I was looking for but did help.

[@pegbledsoe8993]

Been were your at the Cloyes Gear 9-221 is the way to go to avoid the frustration. Have fun

[@insomniacshotrods]

Did you like yours? Have seen some bad reviews on it, and also have to watch the size of your retaining ring to make sure your cam button clears it. Have seen it reported they broke the button off after hitting on cam bolt retaining ring. Also dont think it will clear a 8 inch balancer without machining or fit a short water pump, and also seen people had to clearance for the main journal.

[@robertdouglas3456]

Lots of option! Not that many good with the short water pumps! 💥🇺🇸💥🇺🇸

[@BigMikesGarage]

Just buy a stick of delrin round stock and make your own buttons on the lathe, easy peasy...

[@mountainsgarage]

I was just shopping for stock!

[@steves759]

Aluminum cover bolt solution (not stock appearing) is to run studs. Gaskets stay in place and I like the look. I always thought those bearings in the cam button would be a disaster also. Time has proven they are extremely durable or at least the ones I have had. One thing with the bearing type is if you keep a lot of old stuff you end up with many brands and variations of those cam buttons. We have found there are various thickness spacers/washers in many of them, and different length bodies etc. So we have a bag of them we take the snap ring off and mix and match to get the length and diameter we need.

[@mountainsgarage]

Good info! Thanks!

[@insomniacshotrods]

I have seen a lot of people say theirs has fallen apart in the engine, they say the snap ring heats up and looses tension or opens up. Maybe they dont have enough clearances and its always spinning when on the gas not sure. I thought they looked like a good idea until I read that, plus clearancing then would be harder than the nylon for me. Im going to get the nylon.

[@privatedata665]

recess the back plate fasteners on the pump ?

[@levilandes2979]

Ive done a lot of sbc ..never done a roller cam..didnt know they could be that complicated..in other news..i haven t had a single part show up for over 2 weeks..bored Saturday night

[@mountainsgarage]

Dam!

[@Shade_tree_garage01]

The speedmaster cover is a good unit, i dont get the boomer hate for it, its the same cover that cloyes, and the rest sell minus the mildon cover.

[@lonnieturner666]

Can’t you just take the back cover off and machine what you need off the back of the water pump to make it work?

[@mountainsgarage]

That is what I did before on an aluminum pump. Had a little room before the impeller.

[@mikeworkman3593]

They make shims, none of that is necessary. IDK why he is worried about double gaskets on the WP. The WP is less likely to leak than the timing cover. Better to get a cover that is 2 piece with a roller cam so you don't have to pull the pan off again.