Hello, new member engine help please.

[ajsimmo]

Backlash is 0-0.05mm (not half a mm!) Which is only 2 thou. Or as Bentley says "hardly noticeable". Drop cam in case half with half bearings in, then turn crank backwards. If cam gear starts to lift out it's too tight. In reality with part-worn parts, a +0.1 or less should be fine, but check that backlash!

[silverbullet]

I suspected that it wasn't a lot, so that rather rules out backlash unless it was a +5 in a -5 case.
Distributor thrust washer fallen inside and put a spanner in the works?
OP: Is there any other damage to the drive gears or sign of a foreign body in the engine?

[Brothernumberone]

The thrust washer is still on the dizzy drive, the gears on the crank are ok, there's a couple of tiny chips on the cam gear, but it looks like it must have been chattering around a bit once it broke off, so maybe that happened then.
More serious, just been having a look over the engine more closely after cleaning it yesterday and noticed that the two of the flywheel bolt threads in the end of the crank are damaged and the dowel is snapped. Is that game over for the crank as well as the cam?;)

[ajsimmo]

Yes.
I would look for another engine, maybe with snapped head studs, and use crank and cam from that. Can pick a broken one up for 50-150 quid.

[kevtherev]

https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=136692" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Brothernumberone]

thanks again for the advice. My van's an '84, would an 85> engine fit or would I need to change stuff around? I'm new to t25's but I understand they made a lot of changes for the '85 model year.

[kevtherev]

thanks again for the advice. My van's an '84, would an 85> engine fit or would I need to change stuff around? I'm new to t25's but I understand they made a lot of changes for the '85 model year.

Yes you're right they did, but they were not to the short engine and heads, all the changes to the engine were ancillary and cooling system