What Cams Will Live In Our Engines?

[Blown&Injected]

The second time a cam wipes in less than 15,000 miles!

Is there something other than the stock cam (are these even available new today?) and a roller?

If new OEM cams are not available, will a custom small cam ground to the stock specs work and live like the original stocker?

It sucks that we must spend a THOUSAND dollars just so we do not wipe a cam.

I read some bad stuff about a roller, or some rollers, I think it was the "budget" roller but I am not sure. I will be mighty enraged if I get a roller and that goes bad.

Somebody said Reed Cams do not wipe???

Somebody said something about a back, taper cut??? -or something like that???

Somebody said something about cutting a groove in the lifter bore???

WTH to do?

Sorry about the crying - out of work with broken crank, cam, and pistons really sucks.

 

[n20junkie]

i am not sure what will live, but the budjet rollers are what you want to stay away from, basicaly they are a soft flat tappet core with a roller profiled lobe that don't last very long, and wern't ment to , but were sold without the little side note that they wouldn't last long and alot of people gor really mad, and had i bought one i would of been in the group of angry people, sorry i can't help ya more
Grant

 

[WarpSpeed]

Bummer.
I have an eldelbrock 204-214 cam that's been in for several years, and still going. It said not for computer controlled cars, but, it works for me, and passes emissions. @100 bucks with lifters( as i recall.)

ps: 224 224 is a lot of cam

 

[Intercooler]

Bummer! I think they all work with proper break-in though. The hot ticket is the ductile iron roller.

 

[Blown&Injected]

OK, No Budget Roller - it is hard to do cam search reading; so many posts.

I did not think a roller cam had a break in procedure.

These computer controlled ignition and fuel injected cars are easy and good on flat cams - from a bump on the starter to about 2,500 RPM like the engine had already been warmed up. - a lot of good it did me

Are GM, OEM stock cam and lifters still available?

 

[gnx7]

New stock GN cams are long gone or you may be lucky to stumble onto one.

Maybe your cam break in procedure has something to do with it?

I break in flat tappet cams with tired stock GN springs as the cam physically hardens in the first 20 minutes of break in time. Thereafter I swap out the springs for my HD LT1 springs or comparable. I was recommended to do this by a friend and other reputable racers have done this also... never had a flat cam.

It can be a PITA but better than spending the additional $900 on a billet roller cam setup.

204/214 $60 SpeedPro cam has been 10.40's@133mph with home ported irons/lower intake, T-70 Ptrim turbo in Red's 3450lb TType (or maybe heavier). Good bang for the buck as long as it doesn't go flat.

-GNX7

 

[86brick]

Originally posted by Blown&Injected


Are GM, OEM stock cam and lifters still available?

Nope! Just spend the money now and get a hyd. roller cam kit (ductile or Billet) from a vendor like Nick Micale.... The ductile kit is cheaper than the Billet (mainly because you don't have to machine/modify the front cover).... Spend now or spend more later! In the long run you will be happy you got the roller!

 

[JDSfastGN]

i have a speedpro 204/214 as well and have about 17,000 on it im guessing and all is well so far. had a head crack and we pulled the engine and had it gone through and the cam checked out just fine. It pulls pretty hard as well. im not sure but i thought that the cams that ATR sells were made by Reed? I could be wrong, but anyways i had an ATR 313B that wiped 3 lobes, and ruined some cam bearings. I'm not sure it was the cams fault as a couple of valve spring retainers had broken but just wanted tell ya my story.

 

[frankg]

I've had Comp Cam grinds that have lasted. The 204-214 cams are pretty good and run well also. Check all your lifter bottoms closely on assembly also. Sometimes they have small nicks that could wipe a lobe!! Frank

 

[Boston GN]

comp cams 218/218 here. No probs. As long as it's broken in properly I don't see why they would wipe

 

[big_buick]

Wasn't there a theory sometime ago about certain production blocks having misaligned lifter bores and haveing an usually high lob wiping problem. maybe it was disproven?

 

[EightSecV6]

Comp ductile rollers are vey durable, no machining to the nose of the cam is required either, around $400 more than a flat tappet.

 

[Nick Micale]

Originally posted by big_buick
......... maybe it was disproven?

Guess I missed where it was proven?

 

[gofstbuick]

My engine just spit the #2 cam bearing (clogged pickup), but I had 45000 miles on a Poston 107 cam

 

[GNVYUS 1]

The main component I felt that was nessasary to get the most out of my new block was the Preluber. Never dry starting has to help out with this issue and others, so IMO its worth spending the $600 on it.

Spring pressure and using new valvetrain parts is also a factor.

ESP STG 3 cams still alive here.

 

[Ash]

You may want to check your valve springs to see if they have gone soft. If they are soft then you will have a floating valve this will knock the hard outer coating on the cam. once that is gone the softer metal in the cam will wear quickly. I had this problem when I got my car. IF you have a cam lobe that is gone then all that metal had to have gone somewhere. Check your oil pump by pulling off the cover and see if the plate where the gears are. There is a possablity that your oil pump is trashed. and I realy dont think that you can grind down a oversized cam to stock specks. The cams are hardened steel but they arnt hardened all the way through. The metal in the center of the cam is soft.

 

[turbofrank]

There is more to a cam than just install measurement ,clearances
for starters. Many will get away without the above and some will
not. Find a good engine machinist and let them install it.
Lunati 200-200 cam 100k later

 

[KWIKR 1]

Maybe look into getting the cam Cryo Treated and as well dry film coated for the extra ins .

 

[big_buick]

just some info

Hey man sorry, i wasn't trying to pass off as fact said it was "theory" ie unproven.

But i knew i had seen it mentioned on here before.did a search, just some food for thought.

http://turbobuick.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=93618&highlight=misaligned+lifter+bores

http://turbobuick.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=43911&highlight=misaligned+lifter+bores

I guess in the real world it doesn't help cause your stuck with what you got but blown&inj had another post mentioning getting a new motor might help with the discision

 

[disco stu]

Hey blown& injected, I have a used ATR RP309 G Billet roller I could sell, no springs, but custom, lightweight one piece Smith Bros pushrods. Might make a package deal with 1.5 T&D's.
This cam WILL live in your car, and makes big mid range power. 214 int 210 ex.