Looks like my cam and lifters are wearing out

[padam]

Last year when I changed my oil towards the end of the season, there was a small amount of iron fuzz on my magnetic drain plug. The only place I can figure thats coming from are the cam and lifters.
I finally got around to inspecting it today.
some of the lifters show a rougher wear patern in the center.
I measured the crown on them all and the ones with the least crown correspond to the visual wear.
I'm figuring its time for a new cam and lifters.

 

[R413]

Looks pretty normal, that's how they look after some use.

Did you put this cam in or buy it this way?
Do you know how many miles are on this engine/camshaft?

 

[1 Wild R/T]

I've had two engines recently with mechanically weak compression, you could hear the compression variation when cranking with the ignition disabled.... I used a dial indicator to verify lift on every lobe & found both cams were fine.... I did find sunken valves on one engine.... The other had a fair amount of oil on the plugs, it actually had one cylinder with 25 PSI more compression than the other seven cylinders... I found a bad intake gasket & the engine was sucking oil in that port... I didn't pull the heads since there was no sign of low compression, the engine has less than 1000 miles on it, I suspect it has oil deposits causing the high compression & once it's back up & running my expectation is it'll burn the deposits out & be fine....

If I were suspecting a cam I'd be measuring lobes....

 

[RemCharger]

Measure the ugliest lobes , with lifter in place, see how it compares to new spec lift of the cam

 

[padam]

Lifter Pics:
I thought I posted these last night.
The lifters concern me more than the cam.

 

[padam]

 

[padam]

 

[padam]

I installed this cam in 2021 when I rebuilt this engine.
It has around 450 dragstrip passes, probably not more that 2000 street miles.
Its a Lunati, hydraulic lifters are Rhoads.

 

[PRHeads]

On of the visual tell tale signs that things are starting to go away is when a second wear pattern starts to develop on the lobe.
It’s usually an indication that the crown is basically gone, or is starting to get concave.

This one appears to have two patterns.
(Which lobe is it?)

 

[padam]

On of the visual tell tale signs that things are starting to go away is when a second wear pattern starts to develop on the lobe.
It’s usually an indication that the crown is basically gone, or is starting to get concave.

This one appears to have two patterns.
(Which lobe is it?)

View attachment 1833667

I think that’s the front, so cyl 2 intake

 

[padam]

I did a little more measuring tonight but It's really a pain with the engine in the car. I had to stop befor I knocked a hole in the radiator turning the engine.
(Does anybody make a crank bolt with an extended hex?)
I also took pictures of all of the lobes at the nose.

Exhaust should be .356
Exhaust #3 measured .366 lobe lift, which doesn't make sense, maybe I counted wrong on the indicator. The wear looked ok
Exhaust #7 measured .353, but the wear over the nose looks excessive.

Overall 6 lobes looked like they have excessive wear over the nose.

 

[Geoff 2]

[1] Wear pattern is going to dependf on mileage the cam has done & spring tensiom.
[2] Any FT lifters made after 1995 are suspect.
[3] That is why you see me saying, ad nauseum: get your factory lifters re-faced.

 

[padam]

[1] Wear pattern is going to dependf on mileage the cam has done & spring tensiom.
[2] Any FT lifters made after 1995 are suspect.
[3] That is why you see me saying, ad nauseum: get your factory lifters re-faced.

It appears the cam has as much or more wear than the lifters.

 

[PRHeads]

From what I can tell by looking at pics on a small screen……… it would appear that some replacement parts are needed.

It may not be what you want to hear……or in the budget, but now would be the time to stick a roller in it.

Then again, this one lasted 450 passes.

 

[padam]

From what I can tell by looking at pics on a small screen……… it would appear that some replacement parts are needed.

It may not be what you want to hear……or in the budget, but now would be the time to stick a roller in it.

Then again, this one lasted 450 passes.

One of these days…I swear I’ll do it.

I was going to quit racing after last season, then I got all juiced up at the UMTR banquet a couple months ago. Now I’m behind the 8 ball.

I’ve really painted myself into a corner with this engine. When I got back into racing I rebuilt it with the intent to do a 400 based stroker down the road. I spent so much time and money on the drive train and chassis I never got around to the stroker.

Years ago I milled around.090 off the 906 heads to up the compression. Another decking of the heads and block really got the valves too close to the pistons, which I notched in my garage. That worked for the factory rockers.

Last year I installed crane adjustable rockers. Even though I went from a .020” to a .039 head gasket, I think my valves are too close now. Last year I bent/threw a pushrod on #2 exhaust.
When I pulled it apart the other day, the #2 intake is bent.

The cam in the engine is a Lunati hydraulic 235/245 @.050 with .509/.534 lift.

I have a set of nos solid lifters.

I just ordered a Comp. 23-230–4 which I believe is a XE268 solid.
It’s supposed to be in next week.
There’s not much on the shelves (3-bolt)

I know this is a lot smaller, but I need to get to the track in a month, and don’t have time to tear the engine down and deal with the valve to piston issues.

 

[PRHeads]

Got it

Do what ya gotta do.

You’re likely going to need longer pushrods.

 

[padam]

Got it

Do what ya gotta do.

You’re likely going to need longer pushrods.

Yeah, am I safe to add the difference between the lifters?