Reusing a flat-tappet cam? Wiped lobe risk?

I have a comp hydraulic cam from a 340 that I would like to repurpose in another engine. Naturally new lifters will be involved, is there an elevated risk for wiping the cam on the second set of new lifters?

Should i just buy a new cam?

Why can't you just re-use the old lifters if you keep them to the same lobe?

regularly people rebreakin new lifters on an old cam (when the old lifter(s) went bad or the order mixed up so I'd say you are good. Be sure to get it to fire immediately & takeing out the inner spring & good oil, bring up the RPM, gunning it, the std stuff.

It's also a good idea to mark the lifters and spin the engine over with the plugs out so you can check and be sure that all the lifters are rotating. If one or more aren't rotating, you should swap positions until they are all spinning.

If you're pulling it yourself reusing the lifters is fine so long as you keep them in order. Not sure I would trust a used set even if the seller said they kept them in order I would break in a new set.

So long as the wear pattern on the cam looks good I would actually guess there is less likelyhood of wiping a cam while breaking in new lifters on it.

I installed an old comp cam in a 383 with new lifters. Didn't even do a proper break in, and it's still running fine. That was 18 years ago also, when cams, oils, etc. were less problematic. I think you'd be fine with the new lifters on that cam, as long as they rotate as DaveRS23 mentioned...

I would still put some cam break in moly paste on the lifters and cam lobes and run some BradPenn break in oil in the motor to be sure.

I would trust old lifters more then the new stuff.
Not for wiping out, but collapsing hydraulic lifters are the talk of the day it seems.

Thanks all, the old lifters are long gone.

My only concern with the cam is some superficial surface rust on it. I'll need to try to clear that up beforehand. Any ideas? Soak in evaporust?

I've reused cams with rust like that, cleaned it off with a soft bristle wire wheel.

Red scotch brite and 3 in 1 or CRC oil.

I tell you what Jim Doyle owner of Racer Brown Cams told me. If the cam hasn’t been used several hard years, same lifters in order, and the same block your odds increase. Well used cam like me mine was, new lifters like mine were, and a different block like mine was, odds are not in your favor at all. I rolled the dice and 3 lobes were gone in one pass. We talked on the subject later and he went on to say a well used cam is worn through the cams hardness and new lift r are wearing a new pattern. H also said factory locksifter angles are different from one factory block to another. Not must but some. I will never put a used solid lifter cam in a different block

That is somewhat my worry, the cam had 15,000 or so hard street miles on it. I do not have any old lifters and it's going into a different engine, hydraulic cam.

I may roll the dice, the engine it's going in is of unknown age and is currently bone stock in a truck that doesn't get driven much. I'd like to bring some life to it, but if something came apart, it could realistically use a rebuild anyway.

use amsoil 30w break in oil and you will be safe !

Used hydraulic cam, put solid lifters on it from 2 different sets, all used.
Added camshaft break-in additive to a API-SJ oil and varied RPMs during startup for about 10 minutes.
Drove around with this setup for about 3 years then upgraded to a rollercam.

I too believe that changing blocks adds another variable and risk.

You just won't know one way or the other until you try. Good luck.

cam size is a big factor. Stock 318 cam, no issues.

Something you need to consult with Jim Doyle owner of Racer Brown Cams about, probably not a good idea.

Of course the easy cam is cheapest and the most likely to fail cam is more expensive. Which is counterproductive to the issue at hand.

Second on the evaporust , or buff it off.