Blackwater: What's the helical gearing thrust failure mode you are trying to avoid? I don't doubt you, rather would like to learn. Does it wear out the backside of the cam gear? Wear the thrust plate itself? Are you running an oil pump driven off the cam?
My mild engines have never shown any sort of problem with the stock cam drive design but maybe racing is different.
Your damper experience was it with v8 or was it with inline six?
