Are there other ways to break in a cam other than firing up a new engine? I was think about using an old empty block with heads. Not sure what id use to rotate the cam and oil system. Any ideas?

Thanks 😁

Am I missing how they are checking to see if the lifters are actually rotating before they run it for a full 30 mins like that?

lifter rotation is everything... if i was worried about cam break in i would use low ratio rockers and break in valve springs.. all the while looking for rotation.

in my opinion if someone is concerned about flat tappet cam break-in then don't use a fast rate cam; simple. the faster the ramps the more spring that is needed to control the valve train. more spring/ramp speed means a greater chance of scuffing. i seriously doubt that the old factory engines did a break-in procedure, but they never used the ramp speed that is used today. if fast ramp speed and high lift are a must then use a cam that requires a tappet with a wheel on it.

I had one 340 motor years ago that would eat the #5 exhaust lifter after 20,000
It did that twice before we figured out that the block lifter bore was NOT machined correctly That customer and friend ended selling the car after the second failure with out fixing the block
My message is to always break the cam in the block your going to use it in and be very careful about reusing a cam and lifters in another block
I don't have a accurate number on the total motors I've rebuilt and blue printed but well over 200,I have had three or four of those blocks machine for and fitted with lifter bushings

Hey Cab, it'd be nice not to have to run the car for 1/2 an hour in my neighborhood. Plus change springs. My 70 chargers kinda loud. The last cam break in was my GTX. Its pretty quiet. Split in 3, 10min run times.

WHO ELSE has cut the top of the valve covers off and USED THOSE in the initial fire up of the motor ?

The VIEWED DOWN to see if the lifters are properly rotating!

You can assemble the short block with the cam. lifters and timing set in it and then spin the motor over by hand, after marking the lifters and block, to check if the lifter will rotate after 15 to 30 rotations of the crank, 7 to 15 cam revolutions
They should rotate some if they are not tight in the lifters bores

If you rotate the fresh motor by hand, or whatever, to check lifter rotation,
didn't you just wipe off all the cam lube for when the motor fires ?

Seems similar to a new and improved set of ignition points. If I was to invest in anything, it would be a roller lifter.

Not that I have seen so far You need to remember that the flat tappet lifters are design to spin on their edges of the cam lobes on the tapered lobe face to prevent them going flat from rubbing all the way across the lobes

I check fitment of the lifters by slipping them in their bores and seeing if I can spin them by hand.

Im recently out of the mopar musclecar hobby. But my 360 build was gonna use a hyd roller cam/conversion. This is a SIGNIFICANTLY more $$$ option but many legit guys on this forum and in the hobby with all brands and makes have abandoned hyd flat tappet cams due to the modern version of them not having the quality of the past. I remember around 1999 here on moparts the new hyd flat tappet cam destroyed posts starting to appear. Back then it was blamed on the reduced zinc in our favorite brands of oil. But as time went on things like lack of lifter crown, soft metal -basically poor quality has been established.