Originally posted by turbowrenchhead
I thought I bought a quaility cam. I was refered by Lee Thompson to buy this cam. I bought there cam and lifters and there vavle springs that went with the cam. They are 90 # springs. This is what they recommended. I had a cheap summit cam in this motor the previous 6000 miles ago and that cam was just fine when I pulled out to go with the bigger cam.
I don't think I have ever seen a straight 50 weight racing oil but again I wasn't looking. Where do you get this stuff from? Isn't the lube that they supply with the cam good enough for break in?
Also the timing chain was just a stock steel replacement. I will replace it with a double roller. Any suggestions where to get it from?
I've never used those cams, but Lee does know what he is talking about. As far as quality goes, I was not referring to the cam that just went down, I was referring to a $50 PAW cam. You do not always get what you pay for, but you almost never get what you do not pay for.
Let me say this, loud and clear, and I hope EVERYONE will read this. No manufacturer of camshafts is immune to lobe loss on flat tappet cams. Yes, some are worse than others, but EVERYONE loses lobes occasionally. If they tell you otherwise, they are liars. On the other hand, when I follow my normal break in procedure to the letter, I don't lose cams, with one exception. That's one out of a couple hundred in the last few years. However, when the customer demands a deviation from my normal break in procedure, loss rates climb rapidly.
Are you sure, absolutely positive, that the springs were set up with 90# seat pressure? I've seen springs set too short (higher pressure) dozens of times. Now, like I said, I use an old set of used springs to break in cams now, for just that reason. Especially on Buicks. Excessive spring pressure is a major cause of lost lobes, especially in the Buick.
I do not know what lube was supplied with your cam, all I can tell you is what I use myself. I use Mr. Moly assembly lube, and I also use their break in additive. As far as straight 50W oil, Autozone carries Valvoline, at least here they do.
Either the Cloyes Tru-Roller or the Rollmaster will be fine as far as timing sets go.
A couple of us are going to talk with three or four major cam grinders to try to get them to produce some dedicated Buick turbo cams as stock items in order to get better cams for a lower price available. We are also looking at having a flat tappet cam made available with a rifle drilled core and metering orifices on the lobes. Using this cam, and or lobe saver lifters will absolutely DEMAND a fully blueprinted oiling system with a high volume pump and a large high flow filter. But, it may allow more aggressive cams to survive, and it may also allow some who have blocks known to eat cams to run a flat tappet.
Do not expect this to happen this week, and do not expect it to be cheap. The cam itself will likely cost double the normal flat tappet cam, due to the machine work involved. It could however provide a viable lower cost alternative to billet roller cams. The only increase in cost will be the cam itself, unless you buy lobe saver lifters.
I still think that the billet roller is the only way to go, but it is just too expensive for some, and I do understand that.
Alan
