Cam Recommendations?

[FatBoy]

Originally Posted by Shootnride

Here is a link to a VERY lengthy article that one SAE engineer wrote on his testing of hundreds of oils. If you get to the last portion of the article he ranks all of his tests with results. In his testing he ranked the Valvoline VR1 at #36 and the Joe Gibbs Hot Rod at #97. It's an interesting read. You can make your own opinion about his testing.

https://540ratblog.wordpress.com/201...-test-ranking/

Ted

Ted,

That's very interesting (and VERY long) article, thank you for posting the link. It pretty much confirms what I was told by the techs at Opie Oils, in that ZDDP is just marketing nonsense and bears very little relationship to the actual wear protection capabilities of the oil.

I haven't read all of it (obviously), but I didn't see anything specifically in regard to oil weight. Could I use a 10W40 oil, or even a 0W40?

I liked the idea of the Valvoline Maxlife High Mileage, because it has extremely good wear protection characteristics but also has additives to minimise oil leaks, which has to be a good thing. What wasn't so appealing was the price here in the UK at over £70 for 5 litres. However, if the oil change intervals could be extended to 2 or 3 years, it looks like much better value. Presumably a full Esther synthetic isn't going to degrade and form sludge deposits like a mineral oil.

Paul

[Shootnride]

Originally Posted by FatBoy

I haven't read all of it (obviously), but I didn't see anything specifically in regard to oil weight. Could I use a 10W40 oil, or even a 0W40?

Paul,

In Section 2 of this article, the author goes into selection of the proper oil viscosity. Basically, he promotes using the lightest oil that will still maintain adequate "hot" oil pressure for your particular engine. He says that the old rule of thumb of 10 psi/1000 RPM is a reasonable standard.

So, based on his recommendation, I suppose each engine would require a bit of experimentation, because all engines are not built with exactly the same bearing clearances. I think at my next oil change I'm going to try changing to a 10W30 and see how it works out. My engine runs pretty high oil pressure even when hot and I'm currently using a 15W50 oil.

Ted

[dcdoug]

FYI. Brad Penn Motor Oil has been renamed PennGrade1. https://www.penngrade.com/penngrade-1/

[FatBoy]

Well, I have at last pulled the engine out and stripped the top and bottom ends off. It was obvious that something was amiss with the follower of the missing cam lode because it wouldn't come out through the top of the block like all the rest.
I pulled the cam out and and the problem lobe looked like someone had taken an angle grinder to it and nicely rounded all the edges off. I pushed the corresponding follower out through the bottom and what should have been a very slight convex face was a very defined concave to match the nicely rounded cam.
On the plus side, everything else looks to be in really nice condition and having check a couple of big-ends, they look perfect with absolutely no signs of marking, let alone scoring.
I think I may have dodged a bullet.

Paul

[Gaz64]

Originally Posted by FatBoy

Well, I have at last pulled the engine out and stripped the top and bottom ends off. It was obvious that something was amiss with the follower of the missing cam lode because it wouldn't come out through the top of the block like all the rest.
I pulled the cam out and and the problem lobe looked like someone had taken an angle grinder to it and nicely rounded all the edges off. I pushed the corresponding follower out through the bottom and what should have been a very slight convex face was a very defined concave to match the nicely rounded cam.
On the plus side, everything else looks to be in really nice condition and having check a couple of big-ends, they look perfect with absolutely no signs of marking, let alone scoring.
I think I may have dodged a bullet.

Paul

The lifter and the lobe disappear like this from lack of rotation.

Can happen suddenly and failure occurs in a short period.

Gary

[FWB]

you did dodge a bullet, still tear it all down and have the block cleaned really well.
all those fine particles are in the oil galleys and will act like little files on the motor

[FatBoy]

Summit do adjustable tapered compressors.

[Tom Kirkham]

Be sure and also replace the oil cooler.
Cleaning is not good enough.

[FatBoy]

I was planning to replace it, but I have cleaned it out and flushed it through a number of times with clean fuel and there has been no sign of any debris at all.

Do you still think I need to replace it?

Paul

[Tom Kirkham]

Originally Posted by FatBoy

I was planning to replace it, but I have cleaned it out and flushed it through a number of times with clean fuel and there has been no sign of any debris at all.

Do you still think I need to replace it?

Paul

Yes. It is very cheap insurance.

Consider your engine oil is at 200 degrees and 100 PSI and really flowing. I do not know of any cleaner that is even close.

[djspiderman]

Not a reply, but a question. Has anyone had to remove a bad solid roller tipped lifter from their motor when it was stuck in the lifter journal? If so, how did you do it. Got one eating up my cam and it won't come out peacefully. Can't get the cam out until the lifter is removed.

[FatBoy]

My worn follower wouldn't come out the top, but I was able to drop it out the bottom once the cam was removed. If you can't removed the cam due to the damaged follower, you may have a bit more of a challenge on your hands.

Paul

[FatBoy]

I started the reassembly today, but on unpacking Doug's H+M cam and followers, I discovered that it has shell rather than dumbbell type followers, which obviously means longer pushrods.

My question is, would it be easier and possibly cheaper to buy a new set of dumbbell followers, or do I need to get some custom length pushrods?

I have Dove roller rockers and I've just ordered some new posts, end-supports and spacers from Precision Pumps.

Thanks,
Paul

[Gaz64]

Originally Posted by FatBoy

I started the reassembly today, but on unpacking Doug's H+M cam and followers, I discovered that it has shell rather than dumbbell type followers, which obviously means longer pushrods.

My question is, would it be easier and possibly cheaper to buy a new set of dumbbell followers, or do I need to get some custom length pushrods?

I have Dove roller rockers and I've just ordered some new posts, end-supports and spacers from Precision Pumps.

Thanks,
Paul

Can you post a pic?
Never heard of Dumbbell followers.

[FatBoy]

Here is a link to the Comp Cams solid "dumbbell" lifter:

https://www.summitracing.com/int/par...5-16/overview/

Based on the advice being given, I should be buying new lifters in any case. In retrospect, it would probably have been easier to buy a new cam and lifters from the outset, rather than buying dcdoug's used items.

I've had a closer look at the other lifters that I took out of the engine and they're worn flat on the cam end, rather than having the necessary convex profile, so they were all on the way out.

Paul

[DanEC]

That sounds like a painful injury. Hope you have a speedy recovery and get a chance to try it out.