Help...!!!

[jaxssnake]

I too lost a cam during break-in.I too agree that there is nothing wrong with traditional oils other than the fact that ALL zddp has been removed from the oil.This is a crucial element during break-ins.If you read the article in hot rod that was mentioned it goes into great detail.Almost all good engine builders agree and recommend running only on the outer springs till after break-in.Almost all posts are on the money.I chose to go to a hydraulic roller cam as they need no break-in Regards Jack

[Eliems]

Turns out that my Cam is so mild there is only one set of springs on the valves anyway.

After having this happen twice in a row I am not comfortable with going the flat lifter route a third time. I am getting a slightly more aggresive Cam with the roller/hydrolic cam and lifters and they tell me there is less resistance, less noise and more power as a bonus. AND NO BREAK-IN!

Bad news (other than the money) is that it will be a week for the cam to come and then measurements made for custom pushrods, then one week for manufacture and another week for delivery! Another month without my car.

[ffindling]

As Byron has suggested, after two successive and rather abject camshaft
failures, I would probably strip the engine completely down, get the block
tanked again and once clean, check for any misalignment of the camshaft
tunnel and carefully check for any cracks. Cracks in certain places can certainly
cause oiling-related problems. If there are any 385 experts in the area, get them
to inspect the block as well, the more eyes, the better. Hold off on installing
new cam bearings until the saddles have been checked for cracks. Clean, clean,
and clean the oil galleries before doing reassembly. Spun camshaft bearings
aren't unknown in 385's and it can be an expensive fix. But there is no reason
a flat tappet camshaft shouldn't live in your 385 especially with low seat
pressure springs.

....Fred

[Eliems]

Machine shop is saying, "Put the roller cam in without removing the engine, the metal filings will have been caught in the oil filtre."

They said if I insist on sending the engine out for inspection of the bearings, they will charge me if the bearings are OK.

I am pretty sure the mechanics can remove the oil pan and inspect the bearings without pulling the engine and I have asked them to do this.

If the bearings look good and the oil is well flushed things should be OK?

What symptoms would I see if metal is harming the engine? Using oil? Oil pressure dropping? Smoking? How many miles does it take to do the damage?

The car only ran for the twenty minute break-in and then two trips around the block while the four lobes were being ground down. Last failure was 800 miles before the one lobe was gone ... One oil change during that time.

This engine could be fine with a new roller cam and a good flush?

Feedback please.

[ffindling]

Originally Posted by Eliems

Machine shop is saying, "Put the roller cam in without removing the engine, the metal filings will have been caught in the oil filtre."

They said if I insist on sending the engine out for inspection of the bearings, they will charge me if the bearings are OK.

I am pretty sure the mechanics can remove the oil pan and inspect the bearings without pulling the engine and I have asked them to do this.

Feedback please.

If the camshaft failures were caused by oil starvation, installing a roller setup will do little good, just might take longer to fail. Of course, you can pull the pan and inspect the main and rod bearings, but even if they are in good shape, that may not be indicative of oiling issues with the valve train. Something is causing those failures and unless that cause is isolated and fixed, throwing new parts into the engine is likely to yield the same results.
Camshafts rarely fail as long as they are properly lubricated and manufacturer-recomended break-in proceedure is exactly followed.
Have you sent the failed camshaft/lifter assemblies back to the manufacturer?
They can generally determine if the failure was caused by a defect in manufacture or by some external issue such as oiling. If they determine the
failure was caused by a manufacturing defect, they usually make good on it
and replace it. Of course, if it failed due to oil starvation, they would be
less inclined to replace it. Most cam grinders stand behind their products
and when they fail, they are as anxious as you to find out why it did fail.
Oiling issues with 385's have never been a big problem, but like any other
engine build, the ducks have to be in a row. There are plenty of them out
there running flat tappet cams with pretty high seat pressures, so the 385
design is intrinsically capable of running such setups, but like any other
engine build, good block prep is absolutely essential!

....Fred

[Eliems]

Here is the cam the machine shop has ordered ...

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

what do you think?

I am not looking for anything wild, I want reliability and torque, low rpm performance.

Thanks, Greg.

[CarsByCarl]

Originally Posted by Eliems

Here is the cam the machine shop has ordered ...

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

what do you think?

I am not looking for anything wild, I want reliability and torque, low rpm performance.

Thanks, Greg.

The cam seems smallish, but for "reliability and torque, low rpm performance" it should serve you well.

As for the cause of the flat lobes....if the main and rod bearings look acceptable, and the cam journals/bearings don't show any oiling issues, you're probably good to go.

[ByronRACE]

So you want a smooth idle like a production car in a Cobra?

You'll have more bottom-end grunt than the tires can connect regardless. Personally, I'd go with more duration, a more agressive idle lope, and shift the power band up 500-1500rpm so you can get some power out of it.

216/224 at .050 is a tiny cam. Sleepy really. I bet the power peaks by 4800rpm. Yes it'll have a smoother idle. Yes, it'll make explosive low-end torque in a narrower band. But, it'll all be over well before the rpm capabilities of the engine have even been explored.

I'd be looking for something more along the lines of a 230/240 at .050 and would recommend running various cam choices through a simulator before you decide.

My little 435" has a 242/256 at .050 and should peak by 6300 in a NA application. With 25 more cubic inches, I bet it would peak around 6K...which is closer to what I'd shoot for if you want to get power out of it.