Where can I buy roller camshafts?

krazy86t

Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2009
Wanted to buy a CompCams 69-400-8 or similar (custom grind on a 69-000-8), but their website says "available soon 2-4 weeks" for the past year+. This is for E85 build and have all the 109 short block ready

Anyone know where to buy performance roller cam?

Thanks!
 
Wanted to buy a CompCams 69-400-8 or similar (custom grind on a 69-000-8), but their website says "available soon 2-4 weeks" for the past year+. This is for E85 build and have all the 109 short block ready

Anyone know where to buy performance roller cam?

Thanks!
Nobody has them everyone has them on Backorder.
 
i know cov-idiocy put supply chains into fubar, but some areas are recovering. Random sample of several items in CompCams online catalog looks like they have nothing available including LS stuff. No one answers the phone or responds to emails - i have no idea when they will have roller cams available again, or if there is any intention to sell those parts again. Billet roller camshafts are another possible option, but allegedly harder to install and set-up if available.
 
I have been waiting for a custom hi lift quick ramp rate/ max area under the curve, roller from Comp since March 2020!!!!!!
They have putting me off from 2 weeks to 2 months at a time since then.
I bought a 214/ 214 (I think) .504 Comp street roller off the shelf for OVER retail plus shipping on about October 2021.
My motor and car should be ready in the next month or so. If I get my custom before the car and motor are done, I will sell the new street roller.
If not, I will install the new street roller, and depending on how the car runs, I will sell either the high lift, fast ramp custom cam new, or install it and sell the lightly used street roller. Stay tuned to see which is for sale.
I know Comp cams are worth the wait, I have a cam analyzer, and because of what I have seen and analyzed, (over 4 HUNDRED cams!) I only use Comp Cams!
Depending on duration at .050, and lift, a higher lift and faster ramp rate smaller cam may have the area "under the curve" and flow of a cam 1 or 2 sizes bigger! That allows more bottom end torque, higher stall, faster spool, better idle, drivabity, and lower emissions.
Some smaller and/or older companies actually sell cams that have higher lift and more duration than advertised, that way they can say our "XYZ cam makes as much power as a more expensive "ABC cam" but it is cheaper! What they DON'T say is :the idle, torque, spool, and drivability won't be as good.
The small companies that still grind cams from "cam masters" rather than CNC grinding centers, are more likely to have these issues. They buy old and worn masters from the bigger companies that have the newest CNC machines and can grind just about anything without a master. There is no free lunch.
TIMINATOR
 
Also, it's not the cam companies fault!
There are only a few cam CORE companies in the U.S.
According to my sources, covid hit them pretty hard, with: retirements, deaths, and guys getting paid by the government to stay at home and collect paychecks not returning to work. They lost a lot of skilled mold makers, machinists, and other skilled laborers.
The largest core companies supply cams and cores to the OEMs, that is their first priority. We come in a distant second. The common bread and butter motors: small and big block Chevies and Fords come next, Overpriced and trendy LS motors too, are a bigger priority than our own over 30 year old limited edition, never popular V-6s.
My advise: get on a waiting list for a Comp, and till then, install whatever you can find that's better than what you have!
TIMINATOR
 
Krazy86t what specs is the custom you seek?
As I remember, the custom I have ordered is 214/214 .558/.558 112. I will verify tomorrow.
TIMINATOR
 
Hello Timinator- thx for the helpful info. after 50 min on hold at CompCams I talked with someone who confirmed a lot of what you stated. He said they get the new, cast cam cores for GN motors in "batches of 200" from their vendor, grind cams on the waitlist. Waitlist was 400+ long, and now 200+ but no definite date for next batch. I ordered CompCams 69-400-8 thru Jegs months ago, Jegs claims order is still active with CompCams..."please be patient." 69-400-8 is 218/212 @0.05 with 112 LSA. Wanted to get 69-000-8 for custom E85 grind (specs?), but couldn't find a way to place the order. Supply chain for a lot of parts is FUBAR.
 
I was having the same problem in 2019.I called all round and could not find a thing.Very good buick engine builder did some calling of his own for me to find out there were no cores, to be had at that time just as stated above. I hope things turn around some soon it is already hard for us to get parts. Hope you have some luck and they get some cores in .
 
I have been waiting for a custom hi lift quick ramp rate/ max area under the curve, roller from Comp since March 2020!!!!!!
They have putting me off from 2 weeks to 2 months at a time since then.
I bought a 214/ 214 (I think) .504 Comp street roller off the shelf for OVER retail plus shipping on about October 2021.
My motor and car should be ready in the next month or so. If I get my custom before the car and motor are done, I will sell the new street roller.
If not, I will install the new street roller, and depending on how the car runs, I will sell either the high lift, fast ramp custom cam new, or install it and sell the lightly used street roller. Stay tuned to see which is for sale.
I know Comp cams are worth the wait, I have a cam analyzer, and because of what I have seen and analyzed, (over 4 HUNDRED cams!) I only use Comp Cams!
Depending on duration at .050, and lift, a higher lift and faster ramp rate smaller cam may have the area "under the curve" and flow of a cam 1 or 2 sizes bigger! That allows more bottom end torque, higher stall, faster spool, better idle, drivabity, and lower emissions.
Some smaller and/or older companies actually sell cams that have higher lift and more duration than advertised, that way they can say our "XYZ cam makes as much power as a more expensive "ABC cam" but it is cheaper! What they DON'T say is :the idle, torque, spool, and drivability won't be as good.
The small companies that still grind cams from "cam masters" rather than CNC grinding centers, are more likely to have these issues. They buy old and worn masters from the bigger companies that have the newest CNC machines and can grind just about anything without a master. There is no free lunch.
TIMINATOR
The quick ramp cams need a lot more spring than the milder lobe ones. There really is no need for the quick ramp cams for 99% of these cars.
 
You could try TA Performance. They might have one of their billet core cams available, but don't hold your breath.
Their billet cam requires use of their Danny Bee thrust plate and their TA cam nose hardware kit. All good stuff. Their cores require grinding too. I use Bullet Cams to get mine ground.
 
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