Cam shaft bolt not torqued, no Loktite

[QOTHL]

I have the following questions:
Is this a common occurrence?
What would happen if the car were being driven when it came loose?

Any commentary would be appreciated.

 

[440Coronet500]

Always torque to specification, I use loctite blue for piece of mind. 440'

 

[70chall440]

If the bolt were to come out the cam gear would come off doing damage in the process, it would not be pretty.

 

[QOTHL]

Always torque to specification, I use loctite blue for piece of mind. 440'

An experienced mechanic should know that especially if he's rebuilt dozens of 440's. But he didn't do it and no Loktite. I was lucky it failed in my garage.

 

[QOTHL]

If the bolt were to come out the cam gear would come off doing damage in the process, it would not be pretty.

The cam gear scored the inside of the timing chain cover, stretched the chain and damaged the gear.
My automotive instructor, ASE certified, explained that if I had been driving the car, a valve would stick open, shatter the piston and the connecting rod would go through the block destroying the engine. That would definitely not have been pretty. Fixing it was ugly enough as it was.

 

[Kern Dog]

This happened to me. I heard an unusual rattle coming from the front of the engine. I traced it to the timing cover then stripped it down. Yeah, cam bolt was backed out but still threaded in. The back side of the timing cover was scratched up. The dowel in the cam was fine but the hole for it in the cam sprocket was egged out. I replaced the timing set and used red Locktite on the bolt. I don't recall if I used Locktite the first time though.

 

[dsd1967]

My cousin had this happen to a “fresh” rebuild 383 he dropped into a 72 charger. It spun the gear relative to the cam a little and the valves kissed the pistons. It still ran but popped terribly. Bent valves and small indents in the pistons and bent pushrods. He put a new timing set and replaced the heads and ran the engine several years after that.

 

[OKDart]

Also, be sure to use the correct cupped washer with the cupped side facing the cam. It effectively makes it a lock washer.

The last engine I tore down, the builder installed the washer backwards!

 

[Dipstick]

I agree, the factory used no locking compound, the Belleville washer acts to lock the bolt.

 

[QOTHL]

This happened to me. I heard an unusual rattle coming from the front of the engine. I traced it to the timing cover then stripped it down. Yeah, cam bolt was backed out but still threaded in. The back side of the timing cover was scratched up. The dowel in the cam was fine but the hole for it in the cam sprocket was egged out. I replaced the timing set and used red Locktite on the bolt. I don't recall if I used Locktite the first time though.

We heard a rattle that sounded like a loose exhaust hanger and that's what they told me but couldn't find it. The mechanic who charged $5K for the rebuild kept making excuses about the carburetor that he could never get adjusted correctly. There's no excuse for that happening for that kind of money. This is a #'s engine.