Rebuilding 440 after wiping a cam lobe

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Craig Burriss

Craig Burriss

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After about 3000 miles, my freshly rebuilt 440 with factory forged crank had a lifter fail and wiped a cam lobe. I cut the oil filter open and found a bunch of bearing material. I tore the engine down and to the naked eye everything looks perfect except for 2 rod bearings. The crank where these bearings ride looks and feels perfectly smooth, exactly the same as the rest of the crank. I was going to take the rotating assembly and block to a machine shop to have everything cleaned and checked out but everyone I’ve called is so far behind they won’t even put me on their schedule.
How would y’all recommend that I make sure my crank is ok myself?
I feel like a case of brake cleaner will work for cleaning it out. But I need this truck running again and don’t mind figuring something out myself
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Hot soapy water and bottle brushes to clean galleys, the carburetor or brake cleaner and plenty of WD40. How bad are the crank journals, will they polish out?
 
Last edited:
Demonracer said:
Hot soapy water and bottle brushed to clean galleys, the carburetor or brake cleaner and plenty of WD40. How bad are the crank journals, will they polish out?
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The crank doesn’t have any grooves or scratches. The bearings in question were rod 7 and 8 and those crank journals look and feel the same as the rest of the crank where all the other bearings look brand new. It feels smooth as glass when you drag your fingers over it
 
Clean out the oil galleys, like said above and put it back together. Did you break in the cam for 20+ minutes above 2500, with no idle time and change oil afterwards? Make sure the replacement lifters freely rotate in their bores.
 
That really sucks. Sorry that happened to you sir.

I would tear it all down and start again, cleaning everything well enough to eat off of it. Pay special attention to the lifter bores. I would install whatever cam and lifters you will use by themselves in the bare block, then mark each lifter to make sure each one spins in its bore as you rotate the cam in the block.

Any new lifters I would take apart and clean the hell out of them. Make sure when you put two lifter faces against each other, or a flat surface, that they rock back and forth. Some have mentioned refacing a set of used oem lifters if you can find them as a way to avoid problems.

Best of luck sir.
 
Did you call Extreme Engines in Macon? I do NOT recommend S&M in Ft Valley.
 
Craig Burriss said:
Between work, trying to build a house, and 3 broken down vehicles. I’ve been too busy to make it that far during business hours
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Don't forget that small shop in Cochran I mentioned. Howell's Machine Shop.
 
Yes, those brgs are 020 undersize.

If you stick with a FT cam, find some factory lifters & have them re-faced for reliable service. Go to a junkyard if necessary....
 
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