Cammer parts.

[damage]

Hi guys,

Just after some information, I have a 427 SOHC Cammer that had a timing chain failure. I'm sick of waiting on the original engine supplier to honour his warranty. The engine expired after only having done about 40 miles. All I want to do is drive my car so I want to buy the parts and get it back on the road.

Who would be the best (most reliable) for supplying quality components for a rebuild.

I need valves valve guides timing chain front cover gaskets and a host of other parts.

Any help would be appreciated.

[philminotti]

I assume the pics in your gallery are your motor. Ugly. Sorry to hear that. Getting your builder to honor his work is what you should do. Call him out on this forum and/or fordfe.com if you are truly getting screwed.

The problem with cammers are that there really is no one stop shopping for parts. Paul Munroe has many of the parts you need but not all. Those expensive heads of yours really need to be examined by someone who know their business. I've built up my own wedge heads, but those puppies are a bit intimidating. Talk to Keith Craft, Barry at Survival and Brent for opinions/options. Sorry for your mess. Good luck.

[blykins]

Two guys can help....

1. Robert Pond.
2. Doug Garifo (Precision Oil Pumps)

[philminotti]

One more thing... You should post your pictures and problem on fepower.net. You'll get Jay Brown's attention and that guy knows cammers. Seriously.

[Dimis]

Originally Posted by blykins

Two guys can help....

1. Robert Pond.
2. Doug Garifo (Precision Oil Pumps)

There is a possible third, who is "local" to me...

By local I mean in the same state... message sent

[rodneym]

damage,
would it be uncouth to ask who the builder was?

[Dwight]

I know Keith Craft builds cammers.
I've seen them in his shop.

Keith Craft Performance Engines



keithc@keithcraft.com,

the guy that answers the phone; tony@keithcraft.com

[twin turbo]

Man, spending the coin on a cammer and having it fail within the first hour would make me ill. I hope you can get things worked out.

[damage]

Originally Posted by rodneym

damage,
would it be uncouth to ask who the builder was?

I could but I wont, I'm trying to give the guy a reasonable opportunity to come to the party and anti up with the parts to fix it. After 8 emails from me and a few from David Kirkham I haven't had any response but I also realize that America had Thanksgiving Day holidays and then Christmas

I think I've been more then reasonable in only asking for parts because to ship the engine back to Arkadelphia from Australia would cost just as much as the parts.

The main part that has been hardest to track down is the long timing chain. The chain that was in the engine was obviously cheap crap as the journal sizes varied from 218 thou to 225 thou. I've heard of guys that run these engines that have a 250 thou chain journal which is what I would like to hunt down so I hopefully don't have the issue again.

Dimis thanks for the details I will try those guys and see what they can do.

Blykins thanks for your links I had a look at Precision Oil Pumps and they have the majority of bits so at least I can get everything at almost one shop.

[rodneym]

Plenty of people were patiently waiting for all the 'new' SOHC parts to be available but I tell you, they're still on shaky ground.
You're not the first and definitely not alone. In fact, you're in good company. Hang in there. He'll make it right.

[Bernica]

Didn't someone do away with the chain completely and drive the cams with a series of gears instead? Either way sounds like a timing and maintenance nightmare. Just curious.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by damage

I think I've been more then reasonable in only asking for parts because to ship the engine back to Arkadelphia from Australia would cost just as much as the parts.

I think you may have inadvertently alluded to the engine builder.

[legenmetals]

I think this is spelled out in his New build kirkham thread.

I was discussing the possibility of using one of my cammer engines in a new track car build two days ago with Travis at Bryans Racing, I think it would be cooooooool. But Travis thought that the chain was the weak link in the engine build and he had no idea of the life span of the chains. My thinking is Ford has it figured out with the 5.4 engines so we should be able to come up with a bullet proof drive system. We are considering a 358 Roush Yates Nascar engine also.

I'm thinking that the chains are not at the root of Damage's problem. It seems from the story line that maybe other stresses were coming into play causing the chains to fatigue early.

I do know that two different gear and chain pitches were available from different aftermarket suppliers but I don't think you could mix and match them.

I am using the timing covers from Robert Pond and they are nice.

Jay Brown on the Fe site has a wealth of Knowledge on the cammer builds.

I know some builders are incorporating chain oilers into their build. I chose not to.

[cycleguy55]

Interesting article from July 2009 Hot Rod Magazine where they did an 800 HP cammer build. They list all the parts & suppliers, including contact information for many of them.

Ford 427 Cammer Build - 800 HP SOHC Big-Block Race Engine Assembly - Hot Rod Magazine

[CompClassics]

I don't think it will do you any good to post the dispute / concern on this forum, a party that had recently aired their plight about another party was burned at the stake for this recently. Even after the forum poster had provided detailed proof of the tragedy and provided emailed responses from the party that was in question to the poster regarding the transaction.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by CompClassics

I don't think it will do you any good to post the dispute / concern on this forum, a party that had recently aired their plight about another party was burned at the stake for this recently. Even after the forum poster had provided detailed proof of the tragedy and provided emailed responses from the party that was in question to the poster regarding the transaction.

That's not the complete story and I had no issue with the thread. As a consumer, I'd want to know, if ultimately, everything didn't work out.

[Dimis]

Originally Posted by CompClassics

I don't think it will do you any good to post the dispute / concern on this forum, a party that had recently aired their plight about another party was burned at the stake for this recently. Even after the forum poster had provided detailed proof of the tragedy and provided emailed responses from the party that was in question to the poster regarding the transaction.

To be fair - he hasn't really taken aim at the vendor...

Seemingly his primary objective is to locate parts to get on with fixing and ultimately driving his car.

Evident by the fact he's followed up by trying to secure his parts list from other sources.

I figure if the vendor gets burned because of their apathy or non action, then as a consumer I'd like to know. It arms me with information as to what I might expect, and then I'll have to decide if I might chance my hard earned there or elsewhere.


At least that's how I see it

[mhacars]

I feel that if someone got burnt by a vendor then they should make it known so that others are weary and do not have the same experience. I had my Cammer built and it was broken before it was even installed in the car. If you search my posts, you will see what I went through.

I went through a lot of aggravation collecting all the parts and having some specially made and the vendor I entrusted everything to ruined it. Jim Barillaro is someone who is dishonest in the way he did not take responsibility for what happened and although he promised to compensate me financially, he has disappeared. Once that motor was taken apart, it was clear that Barillaro is not qualified to machine or assemble a quality motor.

As a result, I had to start over at great expense and I was extremely fortunate that Ernie Elliott was willing to investigate why it failed and make it right. By the way, I originally had a gear drive in mine installed by Barillaro and Ernie Elliott went back to the chain. He felt that if set up properly, the chain would be fine.

[mhacars]

In terms of the parts you are looking for, I would recommend Robert Pond for the front cover and Doug Garifo for the gaskets. Either of those suppliers can help you find the chain. I suggest that you stay away from anything made by Barillaro.

[Bernica]

If I was an engine builder doing Cammers, I would cross my fingers every time one went out the door. Just too many variables and things to go wrong. Maybe someone has it all figured out now days. Back in the day these motors that performed extremely well required someone tending to them a lot.
My .02 cents...