Just removed the head on a '66 Mk2 and noticed that it looks as if something is missing from the camshaft locators (if that is the proper name) in the front mounting bracket. They have a circular cut out as if they are meant to have some sort of guide bush and a retaining clip inserted. Is this correct or have I been missing something ??
Thanks to all.

 

It is correct that there is no nut on there. The threading is just used so you can fasten it after you unbolt the sprocket from the cam. It is really strange and almost messed me up on reassembly.
Funny you posted this. I was just struggling with this two days ago.

 

Are you sure that's right, here's a screen shot from the manual, it shows that shaft as being threaded so the upper cam shaft sprocket gears can be locked in position to keep the valve timing correct. The OP's show a place just for a snap ring.
The purpose of this is so you can remove the cam shaft while the sprockets are in place to adjust valve timing.

Something else that isn't right either.
I've never seen 4 bolts and the metal locking tabs, I've only seen two bolts with wire through the bolt heads to lock things up.
You can see the holes in the bolt heads where the wire is supposed to go in the OP's photo.
The shaft in the OP's photo is supposed to turn too, it looks like it's fixed on the locking plate.
I think some parts went missing along the way and someone made up the missing bits that are not correct.

 

gentlemen the threads on the shaft are to lock the gears to the inside of the slot when removing the head. The cams are from a post 1970 engine.

 

George is absolutely correct re 4 bolt cams, the threaded ends disappeared in/around 1967 and were replaced with the groove you see on the end of the camshaft in the OP's picture, this can have a circlip put in to stop the sprockets dropping out, but do not let one actually lock the sprockets for head removal which is a shame as it is very handy.

But in answer to a1lry that groove has nothing fitted in it when it is in operation.

 

Many thanks for this guys, was afraid for a moment that it was something else that the garage had done wrong when rebuilding the engine.

 

If you have just taken the cam covers off after the engine has been rebuilt, the lock tabs have not been set on the front of the cams, this should have been done by the garage when they did the work !

 

The metal plate lock tabs were bend over the bolt heads, we just bent them back before taking the shot. Is it right then that the plates are correct instead of the lock wire ?
cheers

 

The manual for the XJ6 series 1 shows lock tabs and lock wire, series 2 only shows the lock tabs, but both use the same bolts which would be drilled for the lock wire.

I can't see the reason to use both lock tabs and lock wire, but it is kind of belt and braces.

 

One other point on the cams, there is a large spring clip that is used to locate the serrated plate while setting up the cams, I always remove this once the cams are bolted up, one less thing to come adrift and get tangled up, the other thing I have just done is to trim the spit pins in the big end bolts to very short ends and just spread far enough apart to prevent them backing out. The number of oil pumps I have seen with damage on the rotor from the broken ends of split pins is quite large.