There are no numbers -- you jack the clearance open in a random fashion with whatever sealant goop you chose to put between the cover and the head.

Normal auto clearance numbers range from .0005" to .0015" as a total service range.   Auto considers .002" (a number I have read on this site at least once) to be totally worn out.

Our "good" oil pressures as reported are consistent with .0015"-.002" clearance gaps using oil loss figures tossed around by auto guys who have enough experience to say what sort of oil pressure can be maintained by a certain clearance gap.  BUT they are talking a bigger engine with a stronger higher pressure available oil pump and a water controlled maximum temperature range.   We are not so lucky.

People with partially trashed head journal bearings should maybe switch to thicker oils?

=============  back to the trick =======

I would also grease the adjacent head surfaces as well as the cam shaft.  The only place you want the epoxy to stick to is the journals themselves -- this will aid you in clean up.    Me, I think you are going to have to sand the epoxied journal some to get the exact right clearance amount.

As far as "jamming & sticking it all together", the pioneers of this trick didn't mention this as an issue they saw -- but they didn't really say all that much anyway.

A way to keep this from possibly happening is to do it one journal half at a time.   Epoxy only one journal half, grease everything else, put it together, let it set --- clean it up good , epoxy the second half and grease everything else, clamp it up and let it set a second 48 hours.

This takes twice as long but absolutely prevents you from having the potential for the feared "lock it all up" effect.

Chief: Any chance you picked that $150 '87 up in Chesapeake, Va.?

Hi guys

I J.B.Welded my cam bearing about 8000 miles ago.  I only did the bottom half thinking the pull of the cam chain coused most of the wear.  And the more distance between cam chain pullies the better in this case.

The clatter coming from the head was so bad I couldn't take it anymore...it was inbarrassing to pull up sounding like a thrasshing machine.

I use two quarts of oil and a pint of STP. and change on the 5000 mile mark,  yea the STP put an end to the Wheeles but thats OK.

No I haven't had it back apart yet , but if it ever gets to rattling again I'll check  it out in short order.

Works for me !!!      Good luck with yours!

Ed L. wrote on 02/15/09 at 10:16:29:

thread sealing teflon is about as thin as it comes, just a bit inconvienent cause it's narrow.  But not much sticks to it, and if it doesn't, it's a lubricating material.  It's also very soft, easy to sand off.