Years ago i went to a geardrive to control cam walk. I was using a standard type timing cover and thrust button. The cam actually distorted the cover and was running so far out it almost crashed adjoining lobes into the next lifters. It took a lot of pressure to do that .
After battling many rocker bearing failures for years i am forced to try another stock type cover and chain in hopes that that will eliminate harmonics that may be destroying my rockers. Does anyone make a renforced cover, or has anyone come up with a solution to this problem? I don't want to spend 1250 for a belt drive. My race budget is real tight right now.

I’ve used the cast aluminum Indy covers for years with zero issues

I have seen people put a wedge between the timing cover and water pump...

ATI offers a whim that Summit stock if your damper needs spaced out.

Sounds like there is a issue with the lifter bore angles not being correct causing to much pushing by the roller lifters trying to force the cams forward Very common on BB Chevy motors, not so much on BB Mopars or 426 hemi motors

Years ago I welded a spacer that butted against the water pump hsg. Worked fine.

I've put a lot of Indy cast covers on roller cam big blocks,I mean a lot...I have all manner of water pump spacers for pulley alignment and cam buttons.
I'm not a big fan of a welded button on the back of the water pump housing to support the timing cover,I sure it could work given enough tinkering.
It's what ever you have the time for I guess...

Sure, I've been making billet covers for the past 20 years that solve that problem: http://arengineering.com/products/timing-chain-cover/

Just curious why you are not considering a belt drive???

He said because of price.

Missed that last sentence, but they are out there in the secondary market. I have purchased three in the last year that way, and if you have an issue with cam thrust Jesel also offers a solution for that with their belt drive with their zero thrust cam adapters. Been there done that.

It's a beautiful piece, too.

I had to do that very thing once. I believe the force was coming from the oil drive. I welded a nut on the back of the waterpump and had a bolt in it to run agains the timing cover. Roller bearing thrust button. The timing would swing wildly as it pushed forward, essentially turning the distributor location as it moved forward.

I think I might have sold you a slightly used Jesel belt once or twice! I used to buy them for my dyno engines and then sell them once the testing was done since most people weren't interesting in buying a pump gas engine with a Jesel belt drive. If I was running a serious race engine I'd use a belt drive. Lots of advantages with the belt drive including the super nice setup for camshaft endplay as well as the ease of indexing the cam.

Ok, I never seen this before tonight but i found this,

Mopar Chrysler BB 383 440 Aluminum Removable Cam Plate Timing Chain Cover


Joe

It's chinese rubbish, I wouldn't touch it myself

Get the one that Andy sells, it is a nice cover.

I started welding 1/8 plate on my stock covers

Look into the distributor gear hole alignment. If the drilling on the hole is off it causes gear misalignment that can make them walk something fierce. Todd

We welded a plate like that on our OE cover,
it butts against the pump housing perfectly.

We used the thrust button with a bearing.

Joe