Another note on the AM V8 cams that won't come out the front:
Acording to my OFFICIAL 1971 AMC Technical Manual:
(a DIRECT quotation)
"The camshaft is supported by five steel-shelled, Babbitt-lined bearings which have been pressed into the block and line reamed. The camshaftbearings are step-bored, being larger at the front bearing than at the rear..."
So, either the blocks in question were bored by the break-time relief worker, on a Monday or a Friday, by a new guy, a dumbshit, or done that way for cam thrust control, I don't have any idea.
But I will also add that the 390 AMX (bought in about '88, prev owner had it stored for 1012 yrs) that had the bw cam was 100% original, had the Grp19 cam & kit (& a very old "GatorNationals" sticker stuck to the dash), had 69k original miles on it, was 4-speed, PS, PDB, and weighed only 2,667, according to the title, which was based on the shipping weight.
And it pushed DAMNED easy, I can tell you!!! I pushed it in & out of my garages alone several times in the 810 yrs I had it.
I've had 2 other AMXs with identical options, both were over 3,200 lbs.
That weight difference would make the light one around six tenths quicker than one that weighs in as advertised. I never dragged it, but the lighter weight & cam would have it in the low 13s as tested by the magazines of the day (14.2 for a "stocker")
