Thanks for the reply Serowbot,
I was thinking about the cam chain tensioner too, but the damage is so uniform all the way around that I have doubts. My bet is on an excessively brutal clutch removal at some point, but it would be nice to be sure.
I can't really say it runs good as I have serious cam/cam journal/rocker wear issues, but I am well on my way to rectifying that (see thread "new old savage")
Serowbot wrote on 06/16/11 at 15:30:25:Looks ookie!... Maybe the cam adjuster came loose and got caught in there...
... or could somebody have been banging on it to get it off?...
Looks like it still turns freely though, I think it's just cosmetic...
Runs okay?...