Mr Gadgets

I posted this last nite, but OSO said something about losing all the posts from yesterday?? Any way here it is again. If you clickon the pic to make it big it is easier to see the pits.
Any one see this before. In years past I have seen cast iron cams with bad lobes and no pits. They tell me it is from air bubbles in the castings.. Maybe time to go back to a roller cam. I only had lifter troubles then..

paradigm shift

I am sure your spring pressure is correct. I have an Engle cam that looks the same way. They are grinding me a new one that is supposed to be out of a little harder material.

I am running Schubeck solid flat tappet lifters. Cam was worn but lifters look new. Going back with a new cam same lifters. Joe says no problem so we will see.

I did not dyno the motor but seat of the pants performance difference is not noticeable between solid flat tappet and hydraulic roller I had. NO more broken lifters for me. Schubeck has some new hydraulic roller lifters with no link arms to break or needle bearings. Pricey but cheaper then a new block or more when a hydraulic roller grenades. Just my .02 As you can tell I am somewhat soured on roller cams right now.

Mr Gadgets

I used the same lifters, they looked like new. I am in the same boat you are. I am seriously looking at the new Roller X lifters of his. Talking with the Lunati guy, he said that the lifters with the disc on them, like I have, are either great or a disaster. Some people have had good luck and some not. He says that when a disc breaks, the motor is usually total junk. I havent had any problems. Dont twist it hard enough to go into valve float and I think that is where a disc could break. The rollers without an axel do intrige me.. like you said, pricey but. The lifters I have are the .903 dia. And the cam I run is a Chrysler lobes on a Chevy stick.

Thanks for the input.
Dick

Iggy

Looks like galling from improper break-in of the cam or poor lubrication.
Either way it's not a good sign.

aero-offshore

Sure looks like galling from a hot cam to me.

Mr Gadgets

I did follow break in procedures to the letter. This cam has about 100hrs on it. Ran fine up to the last run last season. This year it just wouldnt run good. I have been chasing hot oil temps, so it may be due to that. But again I spoke to the Lunati cam people and they say it is due to the poor casting of the cores?? I hope to have my oil temp issue solved and hopfully this problem wont come back. Or the roller cam will.

I guess I am surprised I have not seen this type of wear (pits) in the 40 some years I have been playing with engines. I am no expert, just seen a lot of broken stuff.. LOL.

Dick

Cord

MrG-your first post suggested that this was a flat tappet cam. Then in post #3, you stated that you reused the lifters. I'm sure that you know that you can't reuse a flat tappet lifter...right?

Iggy

Cord, I belive he was refering to the fact he used the same Schubeck brand lifters as paradigm shift. Not that he reused the old lifters.

rmbuilder

Mr Gadgets
It's called cam spalling and has a few different causes, one of which is improper heat treat. If you email me the cam manufacturer and the grind I can tell you if it's some of the ones that are known to be prone.
Bob

Mr Gadgets

Oh boy,, getting interesting.. I did reuse the old lifters!! Now hold on.. somewhere I said I have the Joe Schubeck lifters that have ceramic discs on the bottom of the lifter. They are reusable, cam really doesnt need a break in, and yes they are miracle items. You really have to go Joe's web site and read up on it. I am using them in hopes of finding the perfect mouse trap. I bought them because of the .904 dia, bigger lobes can be had for the bigger lifters..

http://www.schubeckracing.com/

rmbuilder,
I will tell you that it is an Ultradyne cam and the grind # is NF59/NF64 F8. Since they are no longer in business it doenst matter, but would be interesting to know if it was a problem from the beginning. I know Harold was having a hard time getting good cores. Seems alot of manufactures of the cores are cutting corners to compete?? Just my .02.. Let me know if you have any info on it..

Thanks
Dick