engine problem

I am just starting to rebuild my 1973 302 and i just started to tear it down slowly. I toke the timing cover off and to my surprise the cam had moved foward and was driven like that and it ate into the cover. To prevent this from happening when i'm done what can i do? I also realized the timing chain had a crap load of slop in it. What Do i do?

Can anyone suggest a part that i can get?

What happened to the cam thrust plate?

What happened to the cam thrust plate?
It's there, didnt seem to be damaged.

1) Was the thrust plate bolted down? (sorry for the dumb question..but gotta ask) 2) Around '72 Ford changed the thickness of the cam gear. A '73 should be the thicker gear, which with '73 parts should not contact the cover. However, if the motor is a '72 and the parts are intermixed, you may get contact. You'll need to investigate to be sure. Hope that helps.