Re: Question on Cam/lifter failure
[Re: Dixie]
#1472099
07/22/13 02:15 PM
07/22/13 02:15 PM
|
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972 Romeo MI
MR_P_BODY
Master
|
Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
|
Quote:
Only a few cam lobes show pitting, wouldn't a failure to break it in, take out all the lobes? And faster than a thousand miles?
Just a small amount of hardness difference in the lifters can cause some to fail and not others... your cam is gonna have to come out... I hope your cam company will work with you on this
|
|
|
Re: Question on Cam/lifter failure
[Re: BigBlockMopar]
#1472103
07/23/13 02:33 PM
07/23/13 02:33 PM
|
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,336 Ball Ground, Georgia
Dixie
OP
top fuel
|
OP
top fuel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,336
Ball Ground, Georgia
|
Quote:
Ok, here comes the inevitable question... What oil did you use? Any additives?
Oh yeah, I used good oil with zinc additives. Valvoline VR-1 Racing at first, then the cam supplier told me 20/50 was not good and to switch to 10/30. LOL. I did it, just to appease him and the problem still occurred. The 10/30 was Royal Purple (on sale cheap at Amazon at the time with free shipping and on tax) with yet more zinc additives.
I pulled the cam this AM and it has pits at the top of most of the cam lobes. I'll post some pics later.
|
|
|
Re: Question on Cam/lifter failure
[Re: Dixie]
#1472109
07/23/13 05:21 PM
07/23/13 05:21 PM
|
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,336 Ball Ground, Georgia
Dixie
OP
top fuel
|
OP
top fuel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,336
Ball Ground, Georgia
|
I called Engle direct since the guy I got the cam from claims there is no issue with the cam. Engle said there is no warranty and they won't do anything. Engle said they don't make lifters, they buy from another source. Supposedly, high quality Made in the USA ones. So, the guy I got the cam from says, the cam is fine and he'd run it. Would you guys run this? The lobe pics are representative of most of the lobes on the cam.
Last edited by Dixie; 07/23/13 05:28 PM.
|
|
|
Re: Question on Cam/lifter failure
[Re: RUNCHARGER]
#1472114
07/23/13 07:16 PM
07/23/13 07:16 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,376
dogdays
I Live Here
|
I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,376
|
IT IS NOT A METALLURGY PROBLEM!
It is a lubrication failure. It happens when the pressure between cam and lifter (or gear teeth) exceeds the oil's film strength. The oil film ruptures, microwelding occurs, then tears apart, leaving those pits.
Similar pictures are found in every textbook on lubrication and assessing failures.
No, I wouldn't run the cam, it is shot.
Unfortunately for engine builders, lifter acceleration is generally increasing while lubricant antiwear/EP properties are decreasing. Thus, the plethora of camshaft failures. This is made even worse by the necessity of using higher valvespring pressures with the more extreme lifter acceleration values.
Welcome to the world of high performance. No cam manufacturer will warranty such a failure, except Hughes says they will IF you follow their directions exactly.
The faster you want to go the more you will discover there are costs for every advancement. Ain't pretty, but it's true.
R.
|
|
|
|
|