To heck with posting pics...I found the problem. After removing the cam gear (that took a little prying and wigglin', but it eventually worked itself loose),
I was able to pull out the cam dowel with my bare fingers. This dowel is 5/16" diam x 1 3/8" long. And I was able to push it in somewhere between 1/32" and 1/16". The eccentric is 5/32" thick, so do the rough math and that little sucker is a good 1/8"
too short!
Since the pin is not in there very tight to begin with (let's assume it's been spinning and dancing in there for its 10,000 mile life), I also have to assume that it may have ever so slightly opened up the hole in the camshaft where it's inserted. Said another way, another dowel of the same diameter will only work if it's the
correct length (meaning it will just barely butt up to the inside edge of the eccentric, where the washer backing up the hold down bolt will keep it from dancing around. Throw in some heavy duty Loctite and that may keep the dancing to a minimum. But even if the Loctite does nothing, the dowel won't have anywhere to go.
Anyway, I suppose I need to visit a machine shop and ask for 5/16" x 1 1/2" dowel.
FWIW, the timing chain/gear is a Cloyes double roller set and the motor was assembled by RDI in North Carolina. Oh yeah...the crank bearings wore out prematurely, too (that was last year's R&R).
I would still like to understand why a two-piece eccentric wouldn't work on this set-up (just so I know).
Thanks,
-Dean