Camshaft Break-in Help

[Rchab]

Okay, I don't wanna accidentally wipe a lobe so any insight would be greatly appreciated..

I'm breaking in a new Comp-Cams 270h in my 440. Between oil leak and a random fuel starvation I've ran the engine for a total of a little over 22 minutes. BUT it was not all at once. Like 10 minutes then a 15 minute break for oil leak then 5 and fuel starvation then 7ish more after letting it cool a little to poke around the engine.

Am I good to say the Cam is broken in or should I go more? Side note, I don't think my fans are powerful enough to go a full 20 minutes as well as I was over 200 at the 10 minute mark

 

[Don Frelier]

Check your timing.
Set a box fan in front of it
A mist of water from a hose will keep temps down.

I would run it another 15 minutes after a complete cool down.
Then try and run it between 1,500 - 3,000 on the road

 

[Rchab]

Check your timing.
Set a box fan in front of it
A mist of water from a hose will keep temps down.

I would run it another 15 minutes after a complete cool down.
Then try and run it between 1,500 - 3,000 on the road

Will do. Timing was at 35 degrees at roughly 2k rpm. Little too cold and dark at the moment to drive on the road, can that be done a different time or needed now?

 

[Don Frelier]

No 15 minutes then cool completely.
You can drive it anytime afterwards.
At least that's my thought.

 

[fourgearsavoy]

I think you will be fine. What you described is almost the same procedure that comes with a Howards cam. I used that procedure and my SFT broke in just fine.
Gus

 

[turbine68rt]

Between runs was the coolant level checked?

 

[69L48Z27]

The cycles are fine, total run is what you’re after. 20-30 min total. If you‘re going to wipe a cam in dramatic fashion it probably would have happened by now.

What oil did you use and what spring pressures?

 

[Rchab]

The cycles are fine, total run is what you’re after. 20-30 min total. If you‘re going to wipe a cam in dramatic fashion it probably would have happened by now.

What oil did you use and what spring pressures?

Oil was vr1 20w-50 with a zinc additive as well and not sure about spring pressure. The springs were from when my dad Rebuilt the engine years back. Pretty much stock springs if I remember correctly. It had a purple cam before if that helps

 

[69L48Z27]

You should be in good shape, high spring pressures are where the problems start sometimes. Oil sounds good too.

 

[Geoff 2]

If the lifters were 'new' & made in the last 25 yrs, I would say a prayer to Allah that they last......
Because no amount of break in time/oil can fix bad lifters.....

 

[JackpotJim]

I broke in my Howards solid flat tappet cam last Spring by running it 3 10 minute intervals at 3000 rpm. Only additional precaution I took was breaking it in on just outer valve springs. After I had a couple hours of run time I installed the the inner springs that came on my Trick Flow 270's. No issues at all.

 

[fourgearsavoy]

I broke in my Howards solid flat tappet cam last Spring by running it 3 10 minute intervals at 3000 rpm. Only additional precaution I took was breaking it in on just outer valve springs. After I had a couple hours of run time I installed the the inner springs that came on my Trick Flow 270's. No issues at all.

View attachment 1441370

I did the same thing and it was stress free because you had time between intervals to check everything over. I rechecked the lash after a few hundred miles and it right on spec.
Gus