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Fed UP! Modern cam blanks or oil? Another flat cam.

Richard150MPH

Richard150MPH

Veteran Member
This is not funny. :mad:

Another cam gone flat in only a few thousand miles.
Decided I may as well just put the factory cam and lifters back in.
Had to find where I had put them, and finally did.
But on close examination that cam is on its way out too.
So that is three dead cams and I'm fairly certain the original cam was setup correctly
Also certain I got the third cam dead-nuts on, the second may have had a slight adjustment issue, not sure.
So has anyone tried the hard coating some of the cam companies offer?
Not sure what it is, do not think it is hard chrome, maybe Titanium Nitride?
I need to USE this truck, not spend all my time working on it.
I only ZR1 high-Zinc oil, kind of expensive for getting the same result as cheap stuff.
Truck is a One-Ton 1981 C30 dually flat-bed.
Need a mileage/torque cam that will LIVE!
Suggestions other than a roller cam conver$ion?
 
Could the spring pressure be too high ?
A roller can be cheaper than you think. Used roller cams are normally ok and we found BBC roller lifters at rockauto for $250 ?
So not much difference between roller and flat tappet.
 
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I'm with Beth thinking the spring pressure is too high. 3 cams wiped? Did you use the same springs on all 3 setups?
 
10-12 yrs ago was the last time I broke in a HFT cam and I didn't do anything to the existing springs on the 24K mile 1986 RV 454 that had an RV cam in the .480 lift range, I put a Summit/Crane white box cam & lifter kit that was Cranes 282-H08 with .533/.533 lift, 226/226 @ .050 dur. and 108 lsa I did proper break in with Walmart 10w30 oil and CompCams break in additive and everything went fine, it's Bad metallurgy now
 
I should've said most cam companies don't really care about flat tappet cam & lifter materials, a TC member had a Howards kit go flat on break in about 1.5-2 yrs ago and they advertise Rockwell Hardening
 
My good friend recently bought a fresh built 302 (350 block) with a SFT cam from Pro Line and I watched it rev to 7,500 rpm on a run stand, No cam problems, Edit not really recently but last year
 
I've had several successful breakins on ft cams in the past few years. Mostly Howards, but a Crane and a Lunati in there also. The spring pressure is key, the oil is key, the lube is a third, but stilll key. Revs above 2500 for 20 min., and a successful fire with known ignition and carburetion is critical.
 
First cam was factory whatever "Mr. Good-Wrench" puts into their 350 builds.
Truck became low on power and my leak-down test said that leak down was very bad, over 60% going past the rings.
So I did a full rebuild including new cam and lifters, new Summit heads which I am sure do not come with overly stiff springs.
Ran great for about two weeks, then way down on power and crap mileage.
Pulled valve covers and found four loose rockers.
Re adjusted and still not enough lift, bad cam.
Replaced that cam with a milder lift RV cam, adjusted very carefully, ran in twenty minutes at 2200 RPM, all that.
I was disappointed with the power from the start and it has declined from there.
Now I get the occasional carb back-fire on start, no power and crap mileage.
Simply cannot afford to tear the engine back down to the block again, may just cut my losses and get rid of the truck.
In many ways it is a great truck, truly rust-free and I have added an NV4500 OD five speed in an effort to increase mileage.
I also have a lot of new parts to finish fixing it up.
But these damn cams are killing me!
Truck engine is a genuine PITA to work on, I have a hard time clambering into the engine compartment over the fenders.
I have the funds for a roller cam conversion but really do not want to screw up my Lotus build schedule and budget.
I've waited FIFTY years for the Lotus Europa, tried to buy one new when I was much younger, now arthritis in my shoulders is getting bad.
I have to finish the Lotus and El Camino while I can still drive stick.
I was going to go cheap and just put the factory cam and lifters back, but a close look shows it is not worth the effort.
So now it comes down to decision time.
Comp Ti plated FT cam, roller conver$ion, or give up on the whole truck?
 
Richard150MPH said:
I have the funds for a roller cam conversion but really do not want to screw up my Lotus build schedule and budget.
I've waited FIFTY years for the Lotus Europa, tried to buy one new when I was much younger, now arthritis in my shoulders is getting bad.
I have to finish the Lotus and El Camino while I can still drive stick.
I was going to go cheap and just put the factory cam and lifters back, but a close look shows it is not worth the effort.
So now it comes down to decision time.
Comp Ti plated FT cam, roller conver$ion, or give up on the whole truck?
Click to expand...
Maybe we can find a stock type roller cam that is sitting on someone's shelf ?
Pair that with a stock type roller lifter set and it won't cost any more than a flat-tappet ?

What about this ?

218/224 with .500" lift cam and valve springs for $300 or best offer ! I bet he would take $225
We still need lifters

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I bet this cam would sell for $100

I have a Comp Cams sbc roller cam was used but less then 200 miles on it part number is 08-300-8, Duration 262/264, Lift .450/.480.
$150 or best offer

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Found the lifters ! These are the same brand 68Chevelle and I bought last January. $156 !
These are incorrect. See below post

www.ebay.com

EngineTech Valve Lifter | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for EngineTech Valve Lifter at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
 
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From Comp,

Pro PlasmaTM Nitriding is a patented process that uses pulsed nitrogen plasma to infuse nitrogen ions into the part – strengthening and fortifying the material on a molecular level, through a depth of approximately 0.010 of an inch. Once again, COMP Cams® has proven their technological leadership by becoming the first aftermarket valve train company to own and operate a Pro PlasmaTM Nitriding service in-house.
Available for any COMP Cams® flat tappet camshaft, this customer-requested service (COMP Cams® Part #1-111-1) has been proven to deliver unmatched wear resistance and uniform case hardness. In addition, nitrided versions of the most popular flat tappet grinds from COMP Cams® are now on the shelf and available for quick delivery.

Of course price is a secret.

I am looking into the roller cams posted above.
 
$116.00 Rollers, do they last?
Seems incomplete, won't I also need "Dog Bones" for alignment?
New pushrods as rollers are taller?
 
Posted the wrong lifter set. Price is $204
Here's the correct one. Yes, you will need pushrods

www.ebay.com

For GMC K1500 79-94 Enginetech High performance Hydraulic Valve Lifters | eBay

High performance Hydraulic Valve Lifters (RFC350-16) by Enginetech®. Enginetech Lifters are made to OEM quality and specifications. Enginetech believes one of the most crucial parts of an engine. Enginetech assure that a factory spec. lifter is used and only use suppliers that the majority of...
www.ebay.com
 
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