Cam Problems

[art38]

Well started my engine a week ago last Sunday. Ran it for about 10-15 minutes had a water leak and shut it down. I ended up taking the intake off for whatever reason and noticed my #8 intake lobe and lifter was damaged. Anyone have any reasons for this happening? I'm using a new Isky 286 hyd cam and Meiling lifters. I'm replacing the cam and lifter, but before in do I need to understand why this happened.
Art38

[fatride]

Art, let me say first, I feel your pain! I had #8 exhaust go flat on me after around 1500 mi. I know my valvetrain like the back of my hand and could not figure out what went wrong. Break in was with the outer spring of a dual spring setup, break in went just as planed. Comp Cams said it was probably an oiling issue or that a piece of trash stopped the lifter from turning at rpm. I replaced the cam and lifters and so far everything is ok. Make sure that the lifter turns freely in the bore at all lifts. I'm sure you checked the regular things like coil bind or that the retainer has clearance from the valve guide boss. Make sure that the valve train is not binding anywhere and maybe run a wheel cylinder brake hone in the lifter bore. I know it's a pain and can be messy but for your own peace of mind make sure that the lifter is turning in it's bore when you fire the engine. I marked each of my pushrods with a speck of paint so I could make sure they were all turning. The cam companys are not going to admit that it was their product that was at fault although in some cases they will replace the cam and lifters. Comp Cams did so for me :clap :clap . I did hear a rumor that there was a bad batch of lifters from one of the major suppliers but that talk has been floating around forever! We don't like to admit it but most cam failures are probably from something we overlooked or from a stupid mistake :doh , then some things just cannot be explained?

[art38]

Thanks Fatride. As you know I've been working on this thing for quite sometime. I spoke with Curt Harvey last night and he said the same thing about the lifter bore and he mentioned something about valve adjustments. The machine shop has indicated everything else is ok. So ordered a new cam and lifters and will try this again. How did adjust your valves?
Thanks,
Art38

[art38]

Fatride, #8 exhaust is the last lobe on that side, right? I had the second from the last lobe on that side. I wonder if that means anything????
Art38

[fatride]

I thought the same thing Art, I had heard of others having trouble with # 8 lobes. Maybe because it is the first lifter to get oil any trash in the lifter gallery goes there? I adjust my valves with the engine not running by the exhaust opening intake closing method. Scroll through this page to preloading hydraulic lifters!

http://compcams.com/Technical/CurrentCatalog/HTML/408-412.asp :help

[Va348]

Fatride,ART

Overfill the oil pan by about 3 to 4 qt and add a can of GM's EOS oil supplment.
That way will get all kinds of oil from spash and (run it a good HR at about 2000 to
2500 RPM).The Cam work harding from running is how it works.Do make sure lifter will turn free.(No cam lupe on side of lifter just reg Oil) Cam lube on cam & lifter rub it in like putting lotion on your hands. If its going to be awhile before you put on the road just leave it over filled. Change before you drive it on road. The GM EOS and over filling works for me.


Good luck!

Dale

[art38]

Ordered the new cam and lifters, should have them early this week and will try again hopefully in about a week.
Thanks,
Art38

[art38]

Someone informed or had heard about the dist. causing this. Now what I've been told is if the original dist. is not rotated properly, it could block the oil passage to that side, but I'm using a Show Car Accel HEI dist., which has the groove all the way around. So is it safe to say that this is not what caused my problem.
Art38

[Bill Hazelton]

You mentioned an Isky 286H camshaft. I am in the process of trying to select a cam. Is this the cam I keep hearing about? All around good performance and sounds great at idle? I want something better than stock but nothing radical. In regards to wiping out #8 lobe. I have seen this once in a 283. Believe it or not the camshaft lobes were all shifted towards the rear of the block just enough that one lifter was tagging two lobes. We went nuts trying to find the problem. I finally took about six new camshafts off the shelf stood them up on the parts counter and then it was easy to see the problem. Chances of this happening are rare and in the 30 plus years I was in the machine shop and auto parts business this is the only time I've seen this. I always instructed customers to install the camshaft first when building an engine. The reason ---- You wouldn't believe how many blocks people brought back because they put a bur on a cam bearing trying to install the cam. Of course this was after the crank and pistons had been installed. Where do you think the filings go when you get a bur out of a cam bearing? I wonder if I had taken the time to not only install the camshaft in that 283 but also the lifters? If I would have rotated the cam perhaps I would have spotted the problem. My 348 is in a 1960 Belair sport coupe. When I first saw this car I just knew it was an Impala. I was kind of let down when I discovered it was a Belair. But you know what? I have never seen a 60 Belair 2 door hardtop sport coupe except for mine. Wonder if they are kind of rare?

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Bill, there are dozens of modern cam profiles available... using 35 year-old technology in this area is no longer necessary.

[MRHP]

Aubrey dreams up the best cam profiles in the world! If you need a cam, do what I did and call him. You WILL NOT be dissapointed. :brow

[Bill Hazelton]

Who is Aubrey and how do you get hold of him?

[dq409]

Who is Aubrey and how do you get hold of him?

Thats what a dozen or so CMP Officers what to know !!!! :rofl :D Aubrey (NHRAstocker409) (http://www.bruneauperformance.ca/)



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