1969 Odd Fire Camshaft Help From Mexico

Good morning,

I have a 1969 CJ5 with 225 V6 Odd Fire (likely a 1971) I live in Mexico and have quietly been replacing parts as needed with the local mechanics. Finally get Verde Cabra aka Green Goat back together and worn camshaft... I ordered a replacement and subsequently the Roller is 3mm too small compared to the original. I am providing photos but the circled one is replacement and red paint is original. I looked at cams and they match up. Just replacement large roller is 3mm too small. The original also appears to be a replacement. The stamps and notations on the original camshaft state CWC 15 or I5, K290. Stamp on end BJ and writing 2681110 and TAN 637 maybe...

Second is the dumper? It translates weird from Spanish but including the photo that mechanics asked to replace.

Lastly the boys have asked for a new Distributor. Guessing HEI long shaft but see some knockoffs for around $200...

Greatly appreciate all the help and happy to buy anyone a taco if they are in Todos Santos BCS MX.

 

Get a picture of the distributor inside and out. A picture of the cam shafts side by side with the end lobes facing the same direction (both left or both right)

And a picture of the valve covers please.

I think you have an even fire 231 engine and camshaft. The 3rd lobes don't match in the pictures.

 

“Properly forged” in the advertising? Camshafts are cast.
As in JW60’s reply, lay both cams side by side and turn so nose keyway is the same position. Take a photo so we can compare lobes.
-Donny

 

Very much a possibility this is an even fire. Had fitament issues with header replacement. Distributor is aftermarket and not available at the moment. I will find the photo of valve covers but Edelbrock aftermarket as well. Loves seem to align on inspection. Funny no key flange on original (may be at mechanics) and holes on left (original) are set opposite the replacement.

 

More photos for support of the issue. Thank you again for all of the help!! It means a lot.

 

It looks like you have an odd-fire distributor. The camshaft is an odd-fire also as an even-fire would have the fuel pump eccentric and distributor
drive gear cast in to the cam. A picture off the crankshaft will be the final determination. Also the number cast on the block behind the intake at
the firewall. The heads look very odd and are GM which means they at least 1975. The number cast on this would help. The rockers look like even
fire rockers and don't look like they work with those heads. I can't see any cast stands in the picture which would give the correct oiling to the rockers.
Looking at the block, I am not seeing the oil port to the heads. Going to say it is an even-fire engine with the wrong cam and possibly wrong distributor.
The rotor is wrong but would need to see the lobes that trigger the points. I like my tacos.

 

Most of the details are consistent with a 1975 to mid-1977 odd-fire 231. Except the distributor. All the odd-fire 231s came with HEI from the factory.

Here's the early '77 odd-fire V6 in my 69:


You can check the casting numbers to get more information about what the engine actually is here: https://www.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/~reese/BuickV6CastingNumbersandInternalSpecs.pdf

 

There is no oil journal from the block to the head. Upper hole near the distributor. When did the odd-fire switch to oiling through the pushrods?
The heads look like 1979 from what I can see of the number.

 

rockers on head alone say not 225

 

When they brought the odd-fire back as the 231 in 1975. All 231s have pushrod oiling even or odd-fire. They migrated to the even fire crank/cam/distributor in mid 1977.

 

He was replacing the heads about 1-1/2 years ago. Not sure if he determined if it was an odd-fire he was working on. The '75 head still had the provisions for oiling.

 

The 1975 Buick service manual says it's oiled via the pushrods. I'm confused. Do you have a source for 1975 heads being fed via oil passages?

 

Some more info here: https://www.oldwillysforum.com/foru...3-7-and-the-231-3-8-odd-fire-v6-motors.25112/

 

No. I said they have the provision. I have one '75 head on mine and it uses the old style rocker stand. In his picture you can see the oil
hole for the rockers though it means nothing for the later engines. I was confused on the changeover to the pushrod/rocker change.

 

Aha! That makes sense. Thanks.

 

I too think those are even fire heads from what I can see of the casting# . The rockers have holes in them for oiling via pushrods. If the replacement cams journals are smaller at the rear ( as a 225/ dauntless would be) than what was removed I believe he has a 231 odd fire which the journals/ bearings are all the same size.
Hodgepodge of parts which can be made to work but I believe those heads are later tall port which have an added headache.

 

According to your link, the 231 odd-fire uses the same cam bearing size where the 225 has stepped cam journals. I imagine that carried in to the
the even fire production. This might make it difficult to source a cam for those two years.

 

Isky makes a 75-77 odd fire 231 cam ( I have one in mine very smooth, expanded rpm range) I also have an oem replacement in the wrapper, somewhere...

 

I saw they were special order. $380.00 for the cam only! Prices have sure gone up.