Will do.   My motor is made up of parts from two different engines. My original engine is a 1955 292.  The other engine is a 1957 272.  As these engines get older and parts become scarce, this is going to be a problem. I suspect the thrust washer and thrust plate that is in engine now is from the 1955 engine and is thicker.  The cam and timing chain are made to work with the later parts.   I'll figure this out and post what I find.  It's a good thing I addressed it on the engine stand.  I'm sure I would have destroyed the engine if I had run it that way.  That's a lesson I don't want to learn.

Your lower picture does not show the thrust washer so I’ll assume it’s still sitting on the camshaft.  You will need to mic both the thrust washer and the thrust plate.  The thrust washer should be approximately 0.005” thicker than the thrust plate.  This will be your camshaft end play.  If your measurements do not get this, then the appropriate part can be machined so you have the correct difference in thicknesses.  A belt sander and a light touch or feel can do this.
 
Check also that the camshaft is sitting at least 0.015” behind the front face of the block when pushed all the way back before installing the thrust plate.  If the camshaft is not sitting behind the front face of the block, you have an issue with the rear cam plug being too far forward or in.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

I definitely have a problem here and I'm not sure what it is.   I removed the balancer, front cover, gears, timing chain and thrust plate with it's round washer.  The washer that fits into the thrust plate was installed correctly with the beveled edge toward to cam. I slotted the thrust plate, reinstalled it and torqued the bolts that hold it to the block. The rear freeze plug is installed correctly. I installed the timing gears and chain as in the shop manual.  I then installed the washers and fuel pump eccentric as in the picture.  Everything rotates freely until I torque down the cam bolt.  This puts a bind on the rotating assembly that I can feel and I have no detectable cam end play. I'm think I may have the following issue. This is from an Internet assembly article.

It appears that Ford used two different thrust washer thicknesses and cam plates. With the wrong combination there will be no camshaft endplay and failure is certain. Ensure at least 0.004-inch camplay endplay during assembly.

Where can I get these parts?  Any ideas?

Installing the thrust washer with the chamfer facing forward can increase the camshaft end play assuming there is a radius at the base of the camshaft snout, not reduce it.  The reason for the chamfer on the thrust washer is so that the radius at the snout to cam front face can be compensated for.  Having no radius on the camshaft snout makes it more prone to breaking or snapping off.  Some aftermarket camshafts may not have that radius at the snout at which point it would technically not make a difference which way the thrust washer was installed.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Thank you.  If washer #6265 is installed backwards, wouldn't it make the cam end play less?  Could be my problem?

 
On the camshaft attaching parts picture, its parts #6265 (cam thrust washer) and #6269 (cam thrust plate) that dictate the correct amount of camshaft end play.  The difference in measurements on these two parts will determine the exact amount of cam end play.  Be aware that the cam thrust washer is not keyed and has a chamfer on one side only.  The chamfer goes towards the rear or faces the camshaft.  The cam thrust washer is placed on the camshaft before installing the woodruff key in the camshaft snout.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

I started to take the front cover off my engine so I can recheck the cam end play. Of course I had already installed the balancer, so I had to pull it off.  My home made Thunderbird balancer pull tool broke, so I had to order one from Casco.  In the mean time, I am contemplating how this cam end play thing works.  The engine is on my engine stand and I can see the rear freeze plug.  It looks like it was installed flush and the machine shop who did the work is a well known Ford specific shop.  I have no doubt it has been installed right.

There are a few things that are bothering me about this cam issue.  The first thing is when I had everything buttoned up I couldn't feel any cam end play by hand.  The cam turned freely, so I assumed it was OK.  I should have used a dial indicator, but I was too lazy.  My fault totally.  Second, I did not grove the cam thrust plate. Many years ago when I last worked on a YBlock, I always did this.  My fault again.  Finally, there is a funny feeling to this roller timing chain.  As I reported earlier, it made a tiny clicking noise when I first installed it. Kind of like it wasn't aligned correctly.  I checked visually and all seemed fine.  I degreed the cam and it matched the cam specs perfectly.


Finally, I'm not sure about the cam washers and thrust plate.  I have two engines and my engine may be a mixture from both. Having worked on mostly FEs, the Yblock arrangement seems a bit strange.  The first washer next to the cam fits into the thrust plate itself.  I assume it's suppose to fit tight and not rotate inside the thrust plate?  I looked for a beveled edge and I couldn't see one, so it may be installed backwards. This engine does not have the counterweight spacer in front of the cam, it has another spacer.  There is a third spacer between the cam bolt washer and the fuel pump eccentric. With this arrangement, is the cam end play determined by the thickness of the thrust plate and washers?  Are there different thickness plates or washers?  I should have the balancer off on Monday and will be able to take a better look.  Everything could be just fine and I am worrying about nothing.  At least I'll know.  Thanks for your help!

I'm old too.  Hopefully, I've learned from my mistakes.  I'll take it apart again and see what's going on.  Good advice.

Murphy's Law in my opinion.  IF you don't do it and have a problem because of it, you'll never forgive yourself.  Remember, beginner's luck only applies to us when we're young!  Too, you'll only regret checking it if you don't!  

Old saying . . . Why is it that there is never enough time to do something right, but always enough time to do it over!

Now I've shared with you that I'm old and got my handle at the school of hard knocks when I was young and in a rush putting my first 322 y-block together in the early Spring of 1966!  


NoShortcuts
a.k.a. Charlie Brown
near Syracuse, New York

JMHO but for the price of a gasket you will sleep better.