Cam & Timing Set Questions

[d55dave]

Two quick questions.

I know we are all aware of the cam failure issue over the last 20 or 25 years. I personally had a mopar 509 cam go flat 15 years ago and blame myself, it definitely was an oil issue (lack of zinc) on my part. Mine was a hydraulic flat tappet, and it seems that every cam failure I know of was with a hydraulic flat tappet cam.

Question number one - I am thinking of going to a solid lifter (mechanical) cam in my current 440. Has anyone had a solid cam go flat, or have first hand knowledge of one going flat?

Question number two, what is everyones choice of, or suggestions for a good big block timing set?

Thanks all, I am hoping that my 49 will pick up a little bit with a solid cam!

 

[Dcuda69]

I lost a Comp SFT after approx 800 miles....my buddy lost a Mopar SFT after many thousand miles. I did everything right...break-in, Brad Penn oil,etc(not my 1st engine build or cam install) No explanation for my buddie's?? I replaced mine with a Comp solid roller...he replaced his with the same Comp SFT that I lost. This was a number of years ago...both are still going strong.

Sorry....no help with the chain question, I don't recall what I used.

 

[d55dave]

Well there you go, thanks!

 

[67Dart273]

I would guess that "on average" solid cams can go flat more often than hydraulic.

 

[RustyRatRod]

I just recently broke in this 396/402 Chevy big block. Comp thumpr cam and lifters. Hydraulic flat tappet. During the last part of break in, it lost oil pressure and I shut it down. Drained the oil to find glitter in it. Tore it down and at least 8 lobes are on the way out and NONE of them look what I call "good". That's the end of flat tappet hydraulic for me. If this Ford 400 I just put in Gladys doesn't break in good, I'll send this .700 lift roller to Oregon and get it ground to a street roller and swap it in. I have my fingers crossed on the 400 though, because I put Crower Cam Saver lifters in it. So "we'll see".

 

[RustyRatRod]

Oh and I forgot to add, I've built a few slant six engines in the recent past, including the one in Vixen I'm running now. All solid lifter cams and they all broke in and did great.

 

[4spdragtop]

It "appears" that(imo) most failures are hyd related. Comp 270S installed over 10 years ago. I would think the fabo machinists would be able to give the most accurate info? I did buy a JP Performance chain from a good member on here.
@Max1196 , @replicaracer43

 

[RustyRatRod]

It "appears" that(imo) most failures are hyd related. Comp 270S installed over 10 years ago. I would think the fabo machinists would be able to give the most accurate info? I did buy a JP Performance chain from a good member on here.
@Max1196 , @replicaracer43

That's what I'm seeing both locally and online as well. Most are hydraulic failures. In fact, I haven't seen a solid flat tappet failure that I can remember.....but THAT doesn't mean a thing. lol

 

[George Jets]

Just thinking out loud here.

But every time I hear of a cam going flat I keep thinking about some type of "Dummy Engine" that the only job of it is to break in cams.

Super light valve springs to polish in the cam and lifters. Valve guides on the loose side could be advantageous too.

Maybe even some oil system mod that would excessively flood the cam and lifter bases with oil to keep it flushing clean as it is breaking in. This would be a good place for a high volume oil pump to supply the feed.

Get the cam and lifters broke in, then swap them over into the expensive engine build you just put together.

Good to Go . . .

There are lots of other variations on how this could work out, but this is the first step thought on it for now.

Just think about all the fines that get in the oil from the new piston rings that are knocking down the fresh cross hatching in the cylinder walls to break in then that gets filtered and right back across the new cam and lifters trying to break in, some of those extreme fines have got to be getting through.

So by rights, the dummy engine long block should be already broke in and loose before attempting to use it for a cam break in machine.

Then the only thing that has to break in and mate up is the new cam to lifter surfaces. Giving full focus to these areas with the best supply of clean oil, as the rest of the engine has already been run in.

_________

Some thoughts if these cam/lifter break-ins are going to continue to be an issue for the future???

 

[MOPARMAGA]

That is a bad ***.
Cloyes is a great double roller.
Howard's sft or Hughes but get yourself some edm solid lifters, they are direct oiling to the cam lobe. I run a 260-264 in my 470 with 1.6 rockers nets .656-.660 lift. Spring pressure on solid flat tappet are usually the same as a hydraulic roller so they're not super hard on the love and lifter.

 

[Bewy]

I have just installed a Rollmaster t/c chain set on an engine [ not a Mopar ] I am building. Chain was quite tight, tighter than I would like. Rotating the engine by hand, I heard this occasional 'clicking' noise; the noise was the chain trying to follow the cam sprocket & finally flicking off. Have to investigate further, not sure what the problem is, but my guess is a machining problem with the cam spkt.

 

[d55dave]

Good input everyone, thank you for the answers!

 

[mopardude318]

Call Cam King.
Here’s a video of a cam break in machine.

Nvm. Looks like they only do Ford. But for 60 bucks not bad if you’re a Ford guy.

 

[PRH]

To make the move from a FT cam to a SR cam is a big expense.
You basically need “everything”.
Cam, lifters, pushrods, springs, possibly rockers, oil pump drive gear, and many times a different timing set.

But, with either a HR or SR cam......the break-in woes aren’t an issue.

With the SR, for something that will see a lot of miles.....the lifter wheel bearing life becomes the concern.

As the spring loads go up, everything associated with that gets worked harder.
Not great for the crowd that wants to “set it and forget it”.

I don’t build engines for customers anymore, but if I did......a FT cam wouldn’t go into anything I built anymore.