Anyone have any idea what cam I might have?

[67cuda360]

I was told by previous owner (over 15 years ago) that my 360 engine has a RV cam with solid lifters. I just put a dial indicator on the rockers and both intake and exhaust measure around .440 lift (with all the lash taken out) but I can't find any info online for a solid cam with those lift numbers. Is it possible this is a normal hydraulic lifter cam and that they put solid lifters in back in the day for some reason?

Car runs fine and has for years with this setup, so it seems obviously okay, just would love to know what cam I am dealing with so I can set proper lash. Currently it is set to .022 intake and 0.24 exhaust.

1974 360 LA block with J heads and 273 adjustable rockers.

 

[George Jets]

Stock 360 4 bbl. camshaft, same grind specs as the stock 340 cams.

Lift: 430/444
Duration: 268/276


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[67cuda360]

Thanks "George Jets" and do you think the previous owner put solid lifters in instead of the hydraulic? Any suggestions what the best lash setting should be?

 

[junkyardhero]

not enough data to make anything but a wild *** guess.

it's unlikely that it's got solids on a hydro grind, it can be done but generally the ramps are ground differently and it absolutely beats the valvetrain to death, generally results in a short cam life too.

 

[RustyRatRod]

If it's been together for a long period with lash that great, it's a solid camshaft. As @junkyardhero pointed out, it would have beat itself to death by now otherwise.

 

[George Jets]

Thanks "George Jets" and do you think the previous owner put solid lifters in instead of the hydraulic? Any suggestions what the best lash setting should be?

.010 ths on intake and .012 on exhaust for valve lash on a warm engine, solid lifters with adjustable rockers.

Man you are really going to have to make sure you have solid lifters and not hydraulic lifters that would have been stock on a 360.

Hydraulic lifters need around .030 ths preload after zero lash, intake and exhaust.

So as you can see there is a huge difference between adjusting solid lifters and hydraulic lifters.

If you have hydraulic lifters running .020 ths lash that would be as noisy as a pair of spoons. And like the guys say, it would have beat itself all to hell by now.

Got to know what you got...


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[Bewy]

Crower has a sol lifter cam with about that lift on the intake. If it has been running ok for 'years' with 022/024 lash, & not getting increasing valve train noise, it suggests the lash setting is ok.

 

[67cuda360]

The engine definitely has a solid lifters. if I set a pre-load it will hang the valve open, not building any compression. thanks "Bewy" I also found a crower cam with solid lifters that has a similar lift, see picture below. it has the 22/24 lash specs so I can only assume that is pretty similar to what I have in the car. It has been running strong like this for 15 years so it hasn't hurt anything, just the normal "solid lifter sound". Thanks everyone.

here is the link to the cam:
Mopar Mechanical Flat Tappet Camshaft

 

[67cuda360]

took a lifter out today to confirm they are solid, I'm 99.9% certain but can someone confirm anti pump up lifters look completely different? see thread. 99.9% sure this is a solid lifter and not an anti-pump up lifter correct?

was able to get a picture of the cam shaft through the lifter bore and it looks like purple/pink paint (front of engine No2 piston)

 

[jimjimjimmy]

thats a mopar purple shaft cam

 

[67cuda360]

that is what I initially thought too, but did they make a mechanical cam with a smaller lift like mine has (around .440), most stuff mechanical I found starts at around .528 lift

 

[jimjimjimmy]

i think they had a solid version of the 68 4spd cam back in the 80's i think i had one back then but that was a day or two ago now .

 

[Bewy]

Because the SB engine does not oil the top end through the lifters, a solid lifter should be solid, one piece, NO circlip.

 

[4eighteener]

Because the SB engine does not oil the top end through the lifters, a solid lifter should be solid, one piece, NO circlip.

The highlyft johnson solid lifters use a circlip.
Maybe because they are oil through?

 

[cookietruck]

There is a 490 lift purple shaft solid cam.
I would put that lifter back in and measure lobe lift. Too many variables with measuring at the rocker/retainer for figuring lobe lift.

 

[67cuda360]

There is a 490 lift purple shaft solid cam.
I would put that lifter back in and measure lobe lift. Too many variables with measuring at the rocker/retainer for figuring lobe lift.

Thanks, what would be the best way to do this with the cam in the engine?
tip of pushrod would be too wobbly

 

[33IMP]

Thanks, what would be the best way to do this with the cam in the engine?
tip of pushrod would be too wobbly

To do that in the engine would require a LOOONG reach dial indicator (read: very expensive!). Or a 1"indicator with a looong extension in place of the standard tip

I wouldn't bother. It's clearly a purple solid cam very much likely the one referenced above. Between the lash, and the typical 1.5 ratio mopar rockers measuring closer to 1.4, actual valve movement of .440 is about what i would expect.
You have years of good performance with the settings you've got. I might try 20/20 for fun..... but I wouldn't expect anything to feel different at all. i think just about any solid can run 20/20, at least in my experience.

 

[cookietruck]

i though you had the intake off.

Can you measure lift at the pushrod side of rocker arm? That would eliminate the rocker arm ratio as a variable.

 

[67cuda360]

No intake is still on, was able to fish the lifter out through the head. (very easy actually).

So I am going to conclude the following: Lifter is solid as I thought and everyone else also agreed with. Cam has purple so is most likely a MP purple cam with .490 lift as "cookietruck" suggested, measuring smaller on the rocker since it uses the 273 adjustable rockers. (close to 1.4 ratio) as suggested by "33IMP". I found the below specs online so I think I will set it to that and move on. All MP mechanical cams seem to have the same 28/32 lash settings. (it is a cold lash setting apparently)

 

[Bewy]

The link in post #14 says that that sol lifter is a 'new' design.

 

[BillGrissom]

Might be the same/similar camshaft I put in my 1965 273. It was termed "RV/Torquer", but had slightly higher lift than even the HiPo camshaft for that year, as I recall. I vaguely recall .422"/.444" lift at the valves. But I changed to hydraulic lifters. The adjustable 273 rockers allow setting pre-load perfectly (recall 80 mil compression). I bought special pushrods for an early 1970's 340 TA engines (adj rockers) to match the taller lifters. OK if a purist flames my "facts" since just recalling and not googling all the details. I just ignore fussers.