Cam Problems

[kwhizz]

Well, the Saga of the Devil Engine continues.....To Make a long story short....two years ago I had the Engine in the 66 Convert rebuilt to take it on the Power Tour, had problems, took it out and back to the guy that rebuilt it....and.....let's just say that we aren't friends anymore....got it back aftert 6 months and finally got around to putting it back in the Convert about a month ago..........EOS,Rotella, Pre-lubed, started on the first revolution, ran it at 2400 RPM for a 1/2 hour......Life is good........Stock 360 H.P. hydraulic Cam........Took it out for a ride last week and put about 30 miles on it, by the time I got back home it sounded like I was running an out of adjustment solid lifter engine..........It ate the Camshaft.........Don't you just hate when that Happens



Ken

Cam and Lifters "were" New..........

[nuch_ss396]

Ken,

This is becomming all too common. I think I'm going to use
EDM'd lifters in all my SHP cars from now on. Anyone got any
real data on EDM'd lifters vs. standard lifters?

Steve

[Xplantdad]

That so sucks...what's the address of the guy that originally rebuilt it...LOL

[Charley Lillard]

A new LS style engine already has roller lifters in it :-)

[Motion Camaro]

<font color="blue">I here that you cannot even use
High Volume/Pressure Oil pumps any more.
It pumps the (crappy) oil past everything too quickly.
This is making me crazy! </font>

[markjohnson]

I did a cam/lifter swap a little over a year ago in my LS-6 454. I used a very large Comp Cams solid lifter grind along with Comp's own flat tappet solid lifters with the EDM hole in the bottom of them. Quite expensive at $180 just for the lifters but worth it in the long run to avoid any problems. I'm not a fan of Rotella either because diesel oils are known to be next on the horizon for the reduced zinc content if it hasn't been reduced already! I used the Valvoline Racing Oil 20W50 along with GM's Cam/Lifter break in additive and so far have no problems to report. I probably should have broke the camshaft in properly by using the outer valve springs only, but my '55 Chevy ex-C/Gasser has the engine set back very far under the windshield and dash and this would require total engine removal. One more thing, I've never been a fan of the half hour/2500 RPM thing. Just seems to hard on everything. I like to run them at 2500 RPM for just a few minutes several times with COMPLETE cool-downs between each session. That's probably what you don't read in the magazines, but it has been very successful for me for a long time. Good luck.

[RamAirDave]

How common is it to have a cam failure after the initial 20-30 minute break-in period has been completed?

[VintageMusclecar]

What brand is(was) the cam and lifters?

How much spring pressure on the heads?

Eric

[kwhizz]

It was a OEM plain old 360H.P. Hydraulic cam with stock springs............

Ken

[3macs1]

Hi Ken:
Is the block a 1966 casting??