cam plugs-not half moons

[red bandit]

hi, i was wondering if anyone could tell me if there should be a plug in both ends of both cams. i'm not talking about the half moons. after having the engine of my 79 xs11 special apart. (i found it in a barn after it sat for several years. some of the rings were stuck in the pistons.) i changed the oil, put the engine back together, with the cam cover off, and wanted to prime the engine with oil, before i actually started it. with the spark plugs out, i used the starter to turn the engine over to prime the oil passages. oil started to pour out the left side of the intake cam. i noticed both ends of the exhaust cam and the right side of the intake cam have steel plugs in them, but not the left side of the intake. shouldn't there be plugs in all 4 ends so there is oil pressure , or is this something different. i could have a friend make 1. but i would like to hear from someone that knows, before i plug it and cause another problem. any info would be appreciated. thank you red bandit

[John]

Red Bandit

You are right in assuming that both ends of both cams should be plugged. I happened to have some cams in my pile of parts, and I just checked them. Both ends of both cams are plugged. Without the plug in place I would think that you wouldn't have any oil pressure through the cams, and that would lead to a catastrophic disaster.

[red bandit]

thanks for the info john. i guess i'll have my friend make 1 since i called around and no one seems to have a 10mm plug. unless anyone knows where i can get 1. thanks again red bandit

[skids]

Re: Red Bandit

Are there oil journals out of the cams? Are they made to hold oil pressure? I am dense! Can you elaborate on that a bit for me?

Originally posted by John
You are right in assuming that both ends of both cams should be plugged. I happened to have some cams in my pile of parts, and I just checked them. Both ends of both cams are plugged. Without the plug in place I would think that you wouldn't have any oil pressure through the cams, and that would lead to a catastrophic disaster.

[prometheus578]

Well I'll be....!

Ya know.... I always thought the earl came up from the head part to the journals and just squirted out past the cam. Looked in the yama tech manual at the lubrication chart. HHmmm.. shows earl coming up through the head and then along the length of the cam. Can this be right? HHmmm... crawled around the garage a bit. Guess I'm sadly misshapen, again! Found a cam.... has a large hole in the middle of it fer earl to enter from the head, and each journal part has a hole fer it to exit and drain back into the system through a hole in the head. (...like I need a hole in my head)
By all means, Red Bandit, get the hole plugged.

Hey John, couldn't he just tap the hole and thread a bolt into it? (Loketite, of course) Hhmm, provided that there's space between the cam and the half moon for it?

[red bandit]

apparently the cams are oil journals, with out plugs on the ends,you have no oil presure. i dought the cams can be tapped, they are probably to hard. of course my question is : where the heck did the plug go !!!

[John]

Good question Red. It could be blocking one of the oil return galleys. The cam plugs are there, of course, because the factory had to drill the cams to allow the oil to flow through them. I would think that the cams are very hard, and would be difficult to tap. Maybe a press fit plug is in order here. Heat the cam, and chill the plug , install the plug, and then you will get a good press fit. If all else fails, you may need to replace the cam.