my friend bought mild hyd cam&lifters for his 440 from summit.one lifter nib had half of the plunger missing! where's the quality control? they replaced the lifter,then on fire up, it ran 5 minutes and sheared the dowel pin in the cam! no way that's his fault! Chinese junk or what?

That IS his fault. He didn't have the cam gear bolt tightened properly. The pin is for location purposes only. The gear drives the cam by friction between gear and camshaft. Force to produce the friction is provided by torquing the cam bolt.

I'd think twice before running my mouth about Howards. It's a very old and well-respected company and accusing them of selling Chinese junk is ignorant. It is possible that whoever put the kit together grabbed 16 lifters and put'em in the box, never personally inspecting them.

R. (&@& I feel old)

my friend is a professional,not a novice.knows enough to torque the cam bolt.it was torqued. a lifter is sent out with half a plunger? where's the qc?that's not runnin my mouth ,that's a fact.yes we checked the oil pump for free movement too.

How could it shear the dowel pin if the bolt was torqued properly?

The cam my be too tight in the block, maybe a burr or poorly machined timing set and even if it were torqued to spec the gear may not fit the cam properly.
Looks like the OP changed his post
Gus

I too will add I HIGHLY doubt this is a Howards cam issue. I have used their stuff for years, and a sheared pin doesn't " just happen". Professional or not, there is something else that caused it.

As far as the lifters, they buy them from another manufacture, and someone apparently dropped the ball in shipping I would have to assume.

I think your post is a little premature on the Howards bashing.

hey,I didn't mean to rile anyone or bash howards. I only meant to find out if there could be a fitment issue between the cam&gear or some other problem or if the parts were cheap.I have no previous exp with howards.i know they replaced the lifter just fine. I'm no young punk either,not on here to argue or run my mouth

I would check piston to valve clearance. Might have crashed and took out the dowel.

All good. Howard's are good people,and do as much USA product as they can.

Just take a good look at that timing set fitment etc. As stated, the only way the dowels break,are if something else suddenly stops or goes solid,the bolt is loose,or maybe.the bolt was too long and
bottoming out in the cam before it tightened?

sounds like the bolt wasn't torqued and loctited,....?

I've had nothing but great parts and outstanding customer service from Howards. There are some very nice and helpful people that work there.Dave