COMP-Cams quality.........

[dlotz]

Well I have 130 mile on the engine (after break-in dyno) and it appears I have lost a lobe on the cam.

Fresh engine build and haven't even had the car on the road for a week and the cam breaks!

I have been hearing some bad stories about COMP Cams that I wish I heard sooner, but maybe this is just a freak acident.

As a Mechanical engineer in the manufactoring business I can't help but get upset at how we no longer make anything with quality in mind. We still charge the same price yet we take short cuts and "build to sell" rather than "Build to last"

Anyone else have issues with COMP-Cam flat tappet cams and lifters?

The pain and time it is going to take to pull the engine out and get this fixed is gonna suck; especially when I only have 4 weeks to get it done bofore the wedding. I am about ready to have it all done at a shop in order to get it done quicker and send the entire bill directly to Comp-Cams.

What is your guys experience with COMP-Cams?

[vector1]

i hope they're good cause i'm putting a comp cams flat tappet hyd in now!!!!!!!!

[BBfangs]

I have built my share of performance engines and have always used Comp Cams. I hope they aren't falling into that same trap as you said "build to sell not "build to last." I think they are top quality as of now but I haven't had any problems like you. You shouldn't lose a lobe that soon after by any means. I can't tell you how many issues I have had recently with workmanship across the board. It does seem that no one is taking pride in it anymore. Sad state of affairs if that is true.

[madmaxx]

Well said. I do not know how you have one bad lobe, how could they make one bad and not all of them? Quality suks everywhere.

[dlotz]

Originally Posted by madmaxx

Well said. I do not know how you have one bad lobe, how could they make one bad and not all of them? Quality suks everywhere.

I haven't pulled it yet to confirm, but the rocker had about a 1/4" of slop and the rocker nuts were not loose, therefore telling me it's on the cam end!

I had the tell tale GM rocker pop sound, telling me the intake valve was opening but the exhaust wasn't opening far enough. It was also hesitating like it was missing as I pulled it into the driveway.I can't think of anything else being wrong.....bent push rod maybe? Bad lifter?

Gonna have to tear it apart to find out.

Question is, can we get it all done in 4 weeks befor the wedding?

[madmaxx]

1/4" that is alot. Remove your valve covers, build dams out of aluminium foil to direct oil back into the head and start your engine. If you dont rev you will be surprised very little oil will escape and the aluminium foil is very formable it that is a word. You can watch all your rockers at once, readjust the loose one.

Originally Posted by dlotz

I haven't pulled it yet to confirm, but the rocker had about a 1/4" of slop and the rocker nuts were not loose, therefore telling me it's on the cam end!

I had the tell tale GM rocker pop sound, telling me the intake valve was opening but the exhaust wasn't opening far enough. It was also hesitating like it was missing as I pulled it into the driveway.I can't think of anything else being wrong.....bent push rod maybe? Bad lifter?

Gonna have to tear it apart to find out.

Question is, can we get it all done in 4 weeks befor the wedding?

[blykins]

In general, there's nothing wrong with Comp products. Every manufacturer will have a small percentage of parts that will be defective or not up to snuff...that's just the law of tolerances and averages.

It's weird that only one lobe failed. Makes me think that the lifter in that bore wasn't spinning freely.

Again, this is the reason why I advise my customers to go with roller camshafts. If it is a cam failure and you add up the money now associated with disassembly, cleaning, replacing parts, etc., you could have went roller a lot cheaper.

Before you get too involved though, I would take a look and make sure it isn't something simple like an adjuster backing off, etc.

[undy]

Pull your oil filter and cut it open. If a lobe went away there'll be a ton of flakes in the pleats. I share the same feeling as Brent, with today's lubricants and lack of additives it's a hydraulic roller for me.

[Ant]

KC did my engine with Comp flat tappet, and Schubeck composite lifters, the engine has done dyno work only, we had to modify the oil pan for my starter motor etc so I then had the chance to inspect the camshaft and it was nicely run in with no visible problems, I guess this has a lot to do with the Schubeck lifters not requiring the same break in and Keith being careful in break in procedure and running good cam lube and oil.

I will be using Delo 400 15w40 for the first few hundred miles to sort the car this oil has 0.15ppm zinc etc and is designed for petrol as well as diesel, I may drop a bottle of zddp in for good measure. I am one of those people that has to go the extra mile on most things just to make sure.

The top Transam/sport sedan teams here in NZ quite a few are running the Schaeffer supreme 7000 20w50 semi synthetic right from the first startup and they claim excellent ring seal and performance, plus this oil is recommended for road use as well, I intend to change it more often than leave it for extended oil changes.

[blykins]

Have you talked to your builder?

[CobraEd]

Did u use ZDDP additive???


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[Hotfingrs]

I've wiped out two Comp Cams cams and several roller lifters. Comp Cams has done nothing but cost me money, and I've told my builder if he puts anything with the name Comp Cams in my engine, he can keep the engine. Pure crap as far as I'm concerned.

[CobraEd]

With Crane out of business, who is left besides Lunati ???


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[madmaxx]

Lunati = I have pictures of a Lunati cam never installed make your head Then it only took 5 weeks to get my money back the whole time their genusis telling me to install. Finally they tried to grind the cracks out , wtf, there is no hope.

Originally Posted by CobraEd

With Crane out of business, who is left besides Lunati ???


.

[CobraEd]

Originally Posted by Hotfingrs

I've wiped out two Comp Cams cams and several roller lifters. Comp Cams has done nothing but cost me money, and I've told my builder if he puts anything with the name Comp Cams in my engine, he can keep the engine. Pure crap as far as I'm concerned.

Your problem could be because you are running a French engine !


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[dlotz]

Just cut open the oil filter..... It's full of fine fine particles, nothing large. Looks like graphite dust in the oil.... i.e. cast iron dust.

Pulling the engine and taking it bact to Barry this weekend to open it up and take a look. We talked this morning and he has a replacement on order. He also said he will take care of warranty issues with Comp himself.

No sense in taking a chance...... Who know what else is damaged!

God I hope nothing else is trashed.


Unfortunately, I cannot go to a roller. This is a vintage solid lifter Side-oiler.

Anyone have suggestions to another cam to go with that may be better (more reliable) than CompCams? I would realy hate for this to happen again. Not sure Comp has any of my confidence at this point. Let see how they handle the warranty issues come Tuesday.

[Gaz64]

I'd be looking at all the reasons for the necessity of lifter rotation.

Lifter base radius, cam lobes ground with the taper to suit, lobe to lifter bore offset, lifters not "hanging up" or binding in the bores, excessive camshaft end float.

One lobe can fail on it's own, or it could be a sign of others about to follow.

Obviously once something like this happens, investigation generally starts before any further damage occurs.

[Rick Parker]

Isky!!!!!!!


BTW Crane is back......they were purchased by S&S Cycles.

[CowtownCobra]

CC has worked well for me, but most of my stuff is 5-6 years old. A lot of cam vendors went through a bad spell 3-4 years ago when a batch of bad chinese steel made it into the system. Not saying that is your problem, but it has happened before.

There is a special break in procedure for flat tappet solid lifters. Did you and your builder follow it?

[Excaliber]

No problems with my flat tappet Comp Cam I put in several years ago. I did take extraordinary measures to break it in. As I recall the first 20 minutes after the first start up determine whether a flat tappet cam will live or die, you usually find out in the near future following that.

I'm wondering what steps were taken during the dyno break in to assure a long life? Removal of the inner springs? Break in rocker arms? Holding the rpm at or above 2,000 rpm for those first 20 minutes? If it went straight to the dyno without any special mechanical attention to break in, there's the problem! For an engine builder, doing any of the above is a real pita, it takes up a lot of time and eats directly into the profit margin. That is why so many builders won't even offer a flat tappet anymore, just to much hassle and risk if you don't get it right.

Hotfingers, roller lifters don't generally require any special mechanical attention for break in. Wierd you had a run of bad luck, I don't know what to make of it. Some years ago ALL the cam manufacturers were having problems with flat tappets, which was eventually traced, primarily, to the changes in oil available. That remains an issue, but of far less concern with the roller lifters, then or now,,, strange. Another factor, then and it remains an issue, is low quality lifters, perhaps made in China sort of thing. A large number of cam failures, some years ago, were a direct result of readily available cheap and inferior lifters.