Cam hub mounting assembly
A cam hub mounting assembly for a camshaft having a cam cover rotationally mounted within a cam cover retainer with a bearing retainer ring therebetween having a plurality of slots, each slot rotationally maintaining a ball bearing positioned in a smooth U-shaped groove on the outside of the cam cover and in a smooth U-shaped groove on the inside of the cam cover retainer. The method of assembly allows the inner and outer grooves to collectively act as inner and outer bearing races for the ball bearings. The axial position of the cam cover is maintained within the bearing retainer and does not require endplay spacing when the cam cover is attached to the camshaft. The cam cover can have one or more balancing bores therein for rotationally balancing. The cam hub mounting assembly permits a camshaft to be attached thereto and to rotate at speeds exceeding approximately sixteen thousand revolutions per minute (16,000 rpm) for use in racing engines.
1. A cam hub mounting assembly for a camshaft comprising: a cam cover, said cam cover comprising a body, said body defining a circumferential groove, a cam cover retainer, said cam cover retainer for mounting on an engine block, said cam cover rotatably mounted within said cam cover retainer, said cam cover retainer defining inner groove, said inner groove concentrically aligned about said circumferential groove, said inner groove and said circumferential groove respectively operating as outer and inner bearing races, a first bearing, said first bearing rotationally positioned within said inner and outer races between said cam cover and said cam cover retainer, and a bearing retainer ring, said bearing retainer ring positioned between said inner groove and said circumferential groove.
2. The cam hub mounting assembly of claim 1 wherein said bearing retainer ring defines a first open ended slot, said first bearing rotationally maintained within said first open ended slot.
3. The cam hub assembly of claim 2 further comprises a second bearing, said bearing retainer ring further defining a second open ended slot, each of said slots spaced from one another along said bearing retainer ring, each of said bearings rotationally maintained in different ones of said slots.
4. The cam hub mounting assembly of claim 1 wherein said first bearing comprises a ceramic composition.
5. The cam hub mounting assembly of claim 1 wherein said first bearing comprises a ball bearing.
6. A cam hub mounting assembly to control camshaft endplay comprising: a cam cover, said cam cover comprising a body, said body defining a circumferential groove, a cam cover retainer, said cam cover retainer receiving said cam cover, said cam cover retainer defining an inner groove, said inner groove aligned with said body circumferential groove to maintain a bearing therebetween, a bearing, a bearing retainer ring, said bearing retainer ring defining an open ended slot, said open ended slot receiving said bearing, whereby said cam cover retainer is mounted on an engine block with a camshaft attached to said cam cover to control the longitudinal movement of the camshaft.
7. The cam hub mounting assembly of claim 6 further comprising a sealing washer, said sealing washer positioned within said cam cover retainer.