Used camshaft with new lifters. Yes or No?

Jeffrey Osstyn

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
No problem here. As long as the used cam lobes were indicated and showed no abnormal wear, The other way around ( new cam with used lifters is the absolute no-no).
I judge cam wear quickly by looking at the lobes to see if the dark phosphate(?) is only worn off of one half of the lobe width. This would indicate the slight taper is still intact and no excessive wear has taken place. Agreed?
 

dm62409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 12
I always put the cams between centers, and use a magnetic base dial indicator to check each lobe. Also indicate middle journal to check for straightness. Even do this with new cams. Had one new billet roller that I had to straighten.
 

425/409ER

Well Known Member
Jeez I can't tell you how many times I have done that in my life. I was told by an old mechanic that it was better to put used lifters on a different cam than to use new ones as the new ones with their finish were to aggressive on used cams. He went on to say that to polish the bottoms of the used lifters on glass with 600 sand paper and WD 40, so that how I have done it and have never lost a cam, besides that I am a cheap ass.
 

skipxt4

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 18
Some years ago, we rebuilt my son's 350, out of his truck. :clap He wanted a Solid Lifter cam. I told him, I still had my LT-1 cam. It told him, it was used. :dunno It looked very good. No weird marks, on any Lobe's.:clap He put it in, with new lifters, and within a couple weeks, it was junk.:eek3 We had to take, everything back apart, and start over.:cry
 

55Brodie

Well Known Member
Some years ago, we rebuilt my son's 350, out of his truck. :clap He wanted a Solid Lifter cam. I told him, I still had my LT-1 cam. It told him, it was used. :dunno It looked very good. No weird marks, on any Lobe's.:clap He put it in, with new lifters, and within a couple weeks, it was junk.:eek3 We had to take, everything back apart, and start over.:cry
Excessive commas probably killed it.
 

Jeffrey Osstyn

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
Jeez I can't tell you how many times I have done that in my life. I was told by an old mechanic that it was better to put used lifters on a different cam than to use new ones as the new ones with their finish were to aggressive on used cams. He went on to say that to polish the bottoms of the used lifters on glass with 600 sand paper and WD 40, so that how I have done it and have never lost a cam, besides that I am a cheap ass.
So the fact that lifters come new with non flat bottoms, convex slightly, is non sense? You polish used lifters on glass, you get a flat bottom. This one would be in the 'show me' category.
 

Don Jacks

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 3
You only lightly polish the bottoms Jeff,not make them flat.You're right about the "crown" part needing to be there.I always coat the used cam and lifters with a cam break in lube and give them the same treatment as when they were new.It doesn't hurt to lightly polish the new lifters either.
 

Don Jacks

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 3
No,The crown supports lifter "spin" ,the lobes are sloped on the camshaft to hold the cam back.If the lifter does not spin for whatever reason,cam lobe failure WILL shortly occur.
 

catdoctor

Well Known Member
Thanks Don. That's why I love this site. So much knowledge here to help us down the path of keeping the W and our cars in top shape.
 

425/409ER

Well Known Member
So the fact that lifters come new with non flat bottoms, convex slightly, is non sense? You polish used lifters on glass, you get a flat bottom. This one would be in the 'show me' category.

Nope, the reason was to polish the aggressive finish off the lifter, I don't think 600 sand paper would take off much. Might work better with 1500 these days as we did not have that back in the day.
 

55Brodie

Well Known Member
Normally comma's save lives. For example:
Let's eat Grandma!
Means, we're hungry cannibals. Poor Grandma, she was a tough old bird. However, it takes just one comma to save Grandma:
Let's eat, Grandma!
Means we're taking her out to lunch, not having her for lunch.
I agree, correct punctuation is important. By the way, Grandma tasted a little funny.
 
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