I did some measuring. OD is 1.457", thickness is 0.160". There are a couple of other aspects that have come up. I think I mentioned that the front-most journal isn't flush with the front of the block and I think it's supposed to be. It is recessed into the block 0.89"", which is the height of the ridge left on the cam gear when the rest of the steel has been ground away. The width of the ridge coincides with the opening through the flange. The gear has been pressed or pulled against the flange and ground down. Second, I can't move the cam with my hands and I should be able to. There's absolutely no play at all - front-to-back, side-to-side, etc.

I see a couple of possibilities I don't like, and I hope I don't have to explore them. First, the cam may have been pushed back in the block. However, the car was driven without oil being tossed all over, andI hope that suggests that one's not right. Second, the guy who rebuilt the engine for the previous owner put the wrong cam in it and it's short by 0.89". Either would cause a bunch of problems.

If you have a better, more simple possibility, let me know. If it comes to removing the cam to determine if it's the wrong length, is it better to remove the engine to get the cam out, or remove the head, pull out the push-rods, etc. and pull the cam out the front?

It just dawned on me - I can check the oiler to see if it's stopped up. Would that cause the cam to shift to the rear? Probably not.

Thanks for the help, advice, etc.,

Jim Hampton