Today I had my 72 Roadrunner out and man was it running bad. It was backfiring when I stepped on it. The engine is a 440. I though at first it had a bent pushrod. When I pulled off the valve I found several rockers barely moving. I have 4 flat lobes on the camshaft. I bought the engine out of a 1968 Chrysler 300 with 43,000 miles. When I got the engine it had quite a layer of sludge in it. I cleaned it up good and put new push rods, lifters and rocker arms and shafts. I have probly put 400 miles on it. When I pulled the valve covers off every rocker arm had oil in them. The bearing surface on the cam looked great. Is it safe to put a new cam and lifters in the motor. I'm hoping the problem is with the engine sitting for a long long time without being started and no oil on start up. Thanks for any help.

when you swaped in the new lifters..did you perform the "break in" for the new lifters to mate to the used cam?

did you add any break in lube additive?

the newer oil is killing off the older flat tappet engines IMO

needs high zinc levels in the older engines

i use a good dezel oil 15/40 napa brand myself

depends on if you still feel lucky IMHO

all that metal from 4 shot lobes/lifters went some where

the less miles the better,look and see how bad the lifters and lobes are worn

not what you want to hear..but I would tear it down and flush it good a do a rebuild on it

but then agian..budget dictates anything I do

so I would install a new cam and lifter,break it in and hope for the best

done it both ways many times with mixed results

good luck