Pitting Cam

[mike]

Hey guys,

Wondering if I can get some advise on what I should do here;  I built my motor 4 years ago, and after the first year, it tore it back down under a suspicion that my lifers were pitting. Lo and behold, they were and the lifters were swapped out with Udo lifters. The cam didn't look bad and it still measured to spec, but I replaced it anyways (86b).

After 3 years and 15K, I have torn down my motor again for an inspection and so far everything is looking good with the exception of the cam (86b). The 1/3 intake lobe is pitting at the nose and it looks as though the other lobes are showing small signs of pitting just about to start. I'm inclined to think that this might of been a bad casting. There is no signs of the cam blank casting type. The Udo lifters show no sign of wear whatsoever. I can still see some of the original machining marks on the lifter surface!

I still have the cam from the first swap and my question is, if it still measures up to be within spec, would you run these with the Udo lifters? I notice that the cam blank is an SC-1.

Motor was broken in with Rotella with the EOS, Rotella was used for the first year, then swapped to royal purple.

What would you do? Run it? or buy another one to be safe?

Thanks,
Michael

[Bubba]

Hey Mike,

If there is no damage or wear, I would run the cam.  Or you can be safe and get a new one.  Use single springs

Break in procedure: (from Aircooled.net)

1. Put in 30w Brad Penn Break-in oil.

2. Remove Spark plugs and oil pressure switch- Turn engine till oil comes out switch hole. Re-install switch, pump till oil light goes out, then another ten seconds.

3. Set the timing on the motor and check valve clearances.

4. Start engine, and immediately bring it up to 2500 rpms. For 15 minutes, keep it between 2500-4000 rpms and WATCH the oil light!

5. Shut down the car and change the oil using the 30w Brad Penn Break-in oil again.

6. Drive the car easy for close to 100 miles to finish the "bearing break-in"

7. Find a hill and run full throttle up it a couple times in 3rd gear to seat the rings.

8. Then drive easy again for 500 miles and change the oil to Brad Penn 20W50 (10W30 in our climate would be better). Then resume normal driving.

[Bruce]

Hey Mike,

If there is no damage or wear, I would run the cam.  Or you can be safe and get a new one.  Use single springs

Break in procedure: (from Aircooled.net)

1. Put in 30w Brad Penn Break-in oil.

2. Remove Spark plugs and oil pressure switch- Turn engine till oil comes out switch hole. Re-install switch, pump till oil light goes out, then another ten seconds.

3. Set the timing on the motor and check valve clearances.

4. Start engine, and immediately bring it up to 2500 rpms. For 15 minutes, keep it between 2500-4000 rpms and WATCH the oil light!

5. Shut down the car and change the oil using the 30w Brad Penn Break-in oil again.

6. Drive the car easy for close to 100 miles to finish the "bearing break-in"

7. Find a hill and run full throttle up it a couple times in 3rd gear to seat the rings.

8. Then drive easy again for 500 miles and change the oil to Brad Penn 20W50 (10W30 in our climate would be better). Then resume normal driving.

With UDO lifters, this is all completely unnecessary.
Fill it with oil, crank it for pressure, then start it up and let it idle.  You are done breaking in the cam and lifters at this point because UDO lifters don't need a break in.

[mike]

I just measured up the cam and it's still to spec.  Gonna run the cam with my fingers crossed.

Thanks!

[Bubba]

Hey Mike,

If there is no damage or wear, I would run the cam.  Or you can be safe and get a new one.  Use single springs

Break in procedure: (from Aircooled.net)

1. Put in 30w Brad Penn Break-in oil.

2. Remove Spark plugs and oil pressure switch- Turn engine till oil comes out switch hole. Re-install switch, pump till oil light goes out, then another ten seconds.

3. Set the timing on the motor and check valve clearances.

4. Start engine, and immediately bring it up to 2500 rpms. For 15 minutes, keep it between 2500-4000 rpms and WATCH the oil light!

5. Shut down the car and change the oil using the 30w Brad Penn Break-in oil again.

6. Drive the car easy for close to 100 miles to finish the "bearing break-in"

7. Find a hill and run full throttle up it a couple times in 3rd gear to seat the rings.

8. Then drive easy again for 500 miles and change the oil to Brad Penn 20W50 (10W30 in our climate would be better). Then resume normal driving.

With UDO lifters, this is all completely unnecessary.
Fill it with oil, crank it for pressure, then start it up and let it idle.  You are done breaking in the cam and lifters at this point because UDO lifters don't need a break in.

The lifters don't, but the cam does.

[Bruce]

Hey Mike,

If there is no damage or wear, I would run the cam.  Or you can be safe and get a new one.  Use single springs

Break in procedure: (from Aircooled.net)

1. Put in 30w Brad Penn Break-in oil.

2. Remove Spark plugs and oil pressure switch- Turn engine till oil comes out switch hole. Re-install switch, pump till oil light goes out, then another ten seconds.

3. Set the timing on the motor and check valve clearances.

4. Start engine, and immediately bring it up to 2500 rpms. For 15 minutes, keep it between 2500-4000 rpms and WATCH the oil light!

5. Shut down the car and change the oil using the 30w Brad Penn Break-in oil again.

6. Drive the car easy for close to 100 miles to finish the "bearing break-in"

7. Find a hill and run full throttle up it a couple times in 3rd gear to seat the rings.

8. Then drive easy again for 500 miles and change the oil to Brad Penn 20W50 (10W30 in our climate would be better). Then resume normal driving.

With UDO lifters, this is all completely unnecessary.
Fill it with oil, crank it for pressure, then start it up and let it idle.  You are done breaking in the cam and lifters at this point because UDO lifters don't need a break in.

The lifters don't, but the cam does.

No it doesn't.  UDO's lifters are magical.   Many have skipped the traditional break-in as you described it and just let the engine idle while setting the carbs.

[mike]

Looks like luck is not on my side. Closer inspection of the old cam on the 1/3 exhaust lobe, there seems to be some weird marks on the ramp that looks like small outlines of panels that may flake off.  In any case, I don't feel comfortable running it anymore.  Is there anywhere local where I can get a 86b that's been clearanced for stroke?

I'm getting sick of these cam/lifters issues! At least this time, the Udo lifters came out flawless.

[Jord63]

Make sure you are running a breakin oil or addative for the first run. Modern oils are low in zinc and phospherous to protect emisions equipment on modern vehicles. These oils are high in these and help prevent premature cam failure. Just read the label that you are using. Some of these are only ment to be in the motor for the first hour or so and then drained and filled with normal oil. Some can be left in untill the next oil change. Hope this helps.

[beetlemandan]

the additive in question is "zddp". it was removed from oil cause car manufactuers in the U.S. have to put 100,000 mile waranties on the cats. zddp kills cats. if you don't have zddp in your oil you have to run roller lifters.

the EPA likes non-zddp oil because it gets rid of "gross polluters", and people have to buy newer, "greener" cars, to the factories delight.

if you want to know what "zddp" stands for and what it does, look it up on google. prepare for volumes of reading.
the short answer is that zddp makes oil cling to high shear areas (like cams/lifter areas), so when you try to break in a high performance engine on wal-mart 10-30 (sarcasm) you get cam failure in 2 minutes.

[Bubba]

You don't have to worry about adding zddp if you use Brad Penn.  It has the correct amount.