What Cams Will Live In Our Engines?

[Ormand]

The story about the "drawing error" is entertaining, but it is hard to believe. The V6 started out in 1960s. It was made for a number of years, but demand was not high, so the design was sold to Jeep in 1967. Then, GM bought it back, in 1974. It was retooled at that time, so that it would share an assembly line with the Buick 350. Since it shared the assembly line, it also shared the machine tools, which used gang drills to make the bore for the lifters. Same assembly line, same tools, same lifter bore spacing.
Then, because of the odd firing order, Buick (and Chevy) redesigned the V6s to an "even fire" configuration. Different camshaft, but same assembly line.
So, in order for the "drawing error" to be true, there not only had to be an error, but it had to somehow escape all the chances of being caught, and corrected, that the sequence above lists. It had to be there when GM made the engine prototypes, and ran all the tests that are needed to: A) Qualify the engine for Federal Motor Vehicle Emissions Certification, and B) Qualify the engine for GMs warranty program. They don't generally just make an engine and then stick in thousands of cars, without doing a LOT of preliminary testing.
Just sounds like another "myth" to me.

 

[87GN_70GS]

Spinning like the others on the other side of the engine, to be exact.

Good catch.

 

[87GN_70GS]

The story about the "drawing error"

So cam blanks/cores aren't made from drawings ???

This information is according to Jim Ruggles approx. 10-12 years ago.

 

[GNRick]

Im posting with no research, just info from the top of my head. But I read a few years back where the EPA has limited phosphors in motor oil. Maybe phosphers are more important to a cam than other engine parts. Still, it would seem other brand motors would share failures if this were the case.

BTW-I know for sure that bronze is being banned by EPA in trans bushings.

Buick Club recommends Valvoline Racing Oil or Mobile One V-Twin Motorcycle Oil. Both still have zinc. And this recommendation came from Valvoline and Mobile engineers. Napa carries both, in 10W-30. AutoZone has Mobile, but the Valvoline in 20W-50 only. Just read the back of the oil containers for more info on what is in them.

 

[1turbo6]

I have also Been following this thread and doing some research on it. I was lookin for a cam (flat tappet) and spoke to an Erson tech I asked him about the taper on #3 and at first he had no clue, then he called the grind house and called me back to say that yes they do reverse the taper on #3 to compensate for the lifter bore. but do Erson cams still fail?? I dont know, I really did'nt want to pay the money for a roller cam but when I spoke to Mike licht at full throttle and told him I only want to build this once he told me to go roller so now I am scraping money together.
but the next dilemma is do I use a double roller t-chain or stock gm I have heard that false knock is a problem with the D.R. set-up. also the oil pump is my next Question high volume or not?

 

[Blown&Injected]

False Knock, although a topic for another thread.
forged pistons
roller cams
roller rockers
welded solid motor mounts
got it all in one car and there is no false knock.

 

[bison]

False Knock, although a topic for another thread.
forged pistons
roller cams
roller rockers
welded solid motor mounts
got it all in one car and there is no false knock.

Ive had all except welded mounts in several engines and i never had false knock. Maybe a solid roller could have some false knock because of the lash thats run with them but the hydraulic rollers ive run did not.

 

[87GN_70GS]

No on the high-volume oil pump. Get the $11 booster plate from AdvanceAuto, smooth/enlarge the passages in the timing cover, do the block oiling mods and you're good to go.

 

[turbov6joe]

I know a few poeple that just put the lifters back in the bores in whatever order and they have had ZERO problems with wiping lobes. I also know a few guys including myself that have wiped lobes on a new cam within hundreds of miles and can't blame it on a poor "break in" procedure. My opinion on this matter is this...it doesn't make a damn what brand of cam you use, how you broke it in, what dino oil you use, or whatever else you can think of...your luck with a new cam is a roll of the dice.

 

[turbonatr]

I have an ancient, flat tappet 204/214 cam in my T. Been in there since about 1995. It's gone 10.70s in a 3660 car with some left in it. No problems.