M117/116 cam follower lightening jig
 

After seeing how long it would take to remove the material from 16 followers with my mill alone, besides how rough on the end mill it would be, I decided knocking off the majority with the band saw was a better idea. I made this little holder from a piece of bedframe. The mill was handy to square things up but it could be made with a grinder if you are capable or crazy enough to start going to town on your followers. These were junk parts for testing. I'm seeing 86 grams difference. I think for the good ones I will make a little cap from some thin stainless to go over the valve end and protect it from rubbing on the side of the saw blade. Once it's set into the holder I just grabbed the square lifter end with a pair of vice grips. I'll do a pass on each side on the mill to even them all up. I think I can grab 4 at a time in the vice. I'm pulling the followers to do the timing chain and guides in a 560sl engine going in my 450slc so I thought I may as well do the AMG mod while they're out. It's going to get spun to the moon constantly so it can't hurt. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...c58ac68cd9.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...653c827552.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...a9c153d834.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...3b3d82e797.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...3d0c7fd8a4.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...224f54ac94.jpg

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I wonder why the extra material is there-seems to serve no purpose. Same on the connecting rod big end. There is a large pad that is way too big to serve the purpose of weigh matching.

Nifty!

Those "wings" are guide surfaces for the springs that are used with the cam followers on engines that have mechanical valve adjustment: Early (pre-'76) M116/117, & M110.

Engines that have hydraulic lash compensation do not use the springs; hence the guides are orphans.

Yeah I thought that may be the case. That or for machining fixturing.

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I did weigh the valve end with the ball end supported and saw 61grams at the valve . Thats pretty significant. Stupid pic is blurry but only the tip is touching the scale. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...c8250a3829.jpg

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