Opinion

Has anyone used a reground camshaft? Did it last as far as wear?

I have a couple of cams that the lifter failed on and they were hurt, one may be fixed with a regrind but the other has a chunk out of it and will need to be welded.
So what is the consensus?

These are billet roller cams.


Dave

Wouldn't it be cheaper just to buy new?

I talked to Oregon Cams and they charge 199.00 These cams cost 600.00 new.

Not to mention if cores are available.

Dave

I've used reground roller cams in GM LS engines and haven't had any issues. Haven't done one in several years, but there was a guy on ebay selling factory cams that were reground into a copy of the GM "hot cam" and some other grinds.

Back in the days of flatheads, that was common, but valve springs weren't all that stiff and there was more zinc & phosphorus in the oil.
I'd bet the specs were not as dead-on as we want now, though.
I would think a surface treatment on a re-grind would be really important, wouldn't it ?

I have run several that Comp Cams redid. No problems and you cant tell it from a new one.

It's going to have a smaller base circle which could be an issue if you already have a big cam with a small base circle.
I was told this by one of the major cam companies back in the mid 70's when I asked about regrinding a .770 lift Super Stock cam to a slightly different profile.

Delta Cams can weld them up, regrind them, heat treat them and so on. I suspect any good cam regrinder will do the same. Ask them for the answer.

https://deltacam.com/services/camshaft-grinding/

As for zinc in the oil, the flatheads don't really care, they have minimal valve spring pressures. A monster cam with battleship springs, yeah you're going to need zinc and such.

^^^ My point was that camshafts & lifters/followers back then had a much easier life.

I've had several solid roller steel core race cams reground and reused them, the key is the heat treating is still intact or reheat treat them

With much crappier oil and filtration though. My feeling is that valve spring pressures are more important than it being a flat tappet setup.

In the 50s to 70s that’s about all you got

I had Bullet regrind a solid roller can to to a different spec and it worked out fine.

We've used reground Mopar factory hydraulic rollers.
Doug