- Hi All,
Working on a 66 - 289 and am looking for thoughts on cam thrust plates. In the pic below, the plate on the left came off of a 68 - 289 core I have (not sure if its OEM or not) and the one on the right is a Melling "replacement" piece. Note the grooves as well as the shape differences. The left one appears that it would/might provide better oil pressure "cushioning" to the thrust surface, whereas, on the right one the groove provides a passage for the oil to give a "squirt" (through a hole in the block) to the distributor gear. Which one is correct and/or better and why? Also, the left one has grooves and appears to be identical on both sides. Was this intended to make the unit reversible for re-use after one surface became worn?