Worn roller cam lobes???

mrvette

mrvette

Phantom of the Opera
Joined
Mar 24, 2008
Messages
15,194
Location
NE Florida
I had a 480/520 lift roller cam in my '89 truck 4 bolt 350 factory roller block.....

and about 6 lobes on the cam are what I would call wiped, and probably not salvageable....looks like the steel is cracking or galling under the pressures, not on the heel of the cam but on the lobe tip.....

is there any saving that cam?? or just junk it....it's a TPIS ZZ9 cam so aftermarket.....

:hissyfit:


BTW, I pulled and examined all the roller lifters, they appear factory perfect...not a issue with them....

:nuts::censored:
 
in the pic hosting section you can download a resize powertoy for windows, that shoud work.
 
Twin_Turbo said:
in the pic hosting section you can download a resize powertoy for windows, that shoud work.
Click to expand...

Thanks man, just sent the pix....somehow the cam went to 2 meg resolution instead of 10 meg.....which is suitable to make a roadside billboard.....

:rolleyes:
 
Here are the pics. This is indeed pitting an the cam is toast. Worn straight through the hardening and not just on the tips of the lobes, one shows it in on the base circle and the rollers have worn out into the softer core. Clearly visible. It's almost as if there had been rust on the cam otherwise the wear pattern would have been more consistent throughout the loves and certainly not on the base circle.

However, I have a hard time believing it's a TPIS ZZ9 cam. I have a couple of them a ZZ-409 and ZZ-X and they are billet cams with a copper hue on the unground parts from the hardening process, no casting ridge and pressed on iron gears. This looks like one of those comp cams concrete cams or a stocker.

What are the markings on the snout?

24ea87725d27d6.jpg

24ea8772641125.jpg

24ea877268d354.jpg
 
It does not appear to be a steel billet cam. Steel billet cams can be reground, but that one looks like it's done and would not be worthy of a regrind.
 
good thing you found it early before it damaged more. What made you pull it in the first place ?
 
Arthur Brown said:
good thing you found it early before it damaged more. What made you pull it in the first place ?
Click to expand...

That is a LONG story, to be told in the future....right now I AM ROCKED PISSED.....

I am sending another series to TT, as my photo edit/file reduction is for shit....

sorry TT, I tried our program here, and no go....dunno why...just is...

so to TT in a email...and we shall see....

got both end and the casting reliefs on the pix....

GENE
 
Yep, GENE, cam is gone. And I sure as hell wouldn't trust the lifters that were in there.
Hey, Marck, you think it's possible that the damage could have started as valve float? Maybe hammering the lobes and the wear just went around the lobe from there?
 
clutchdust said:
Yep, GENE, cam is gone. And I sure as hell wouldn't trust the lifters that were in there.
Hey, Marck, you think it's possible that the damage could have started as valve float? Maybe hammering the lobes and the wear just went around the lobe from there?
Click to expand...

That engine never saw above 5000 rpm.....the springs were set at the head shop using Z28 valve springs, seats ground for the clearance....and roller rockers....

:hissyfit:
 
Last edited:
stuck lifters ???? Maybe the lobes hammered against the lifter ? In this case you should see some evidence on the rollers, the rockers and the pushrods..... springs are fine ??
 
MYBAD79 said:
stuck lifters ???? Maybe the lobes hammered against the lifter ? In this case you should see some evidence on the rollers, the rockers and the pushrods..... springs are fine ??
Click to expand...

I examined all the lifters, they look new, rollers spin fine and look smooth as a baby's ass.....I will pull the rollers from the worst lobes again just 2 B damn sure.....

reason I went to finally change cams was fuel economy a tops of 16 mpg don't get it anymore....what gripes me is the old L48 ran up and down to Florida and back 15 years ago with L98 injection on it, and with the muncie and same 336 rear it clocked 24 mpg taching nearly 4000 rpm....so WTF??

now I got the overdrive lockup 200 4r...so I got a new chip in here for a stock L98 tune without all the bullshit programming.....and a 650 rpm idle....

:hissyfit:
 
mrvette said:
MYBAD79 said:
stuck lifters ???? Maybe the lobes hammered against the lifter ? In this case you should see some evidence on the rollers, the rockers and the pushrods..... springs are fine ??
Click to expand...

I examined all the lifters, they look new, rollers spin fine and look smooth as a baby's ass.....I will pull the rollers from the worst lobes again just 2 B damn sure.....

reason I went to finally change cams was fuel economy a tops of 16 mpg don't get it anymore....what gripes me is the old L48 ran up and down to Florida and back 15 years ago with L98 injection on it, and with the muncie and same 336 rear it clocked 24 mpg taching nearly 4000 rpm....so WTF??

now I got the overdrive lockup 200 4r...so I got a new chip in here for a stock L98 tune without all the bullshit programming.....and a 650 rpm idle....

:hissyfit:
Click to expand...

Change the lifters. With a new cam, always change the lifters. No matter how "good" they look.
 
big2bird said:
mrvette said:
MYBAD79 said:
stuck lifters ???? Maybe the lobes hammered against the lifter ? In this case you should see some evidence on the rollers, the rockers and the pushrods..... springs are fine ??
Click to expand...

I examined all the lifters, they look new, rollers spin fine and look smooth as a baby's ass.....I will pull the rollers from the worst lobes again just 2 B damn sure.....

reason I went to finally change cams was fuel economy a tops of 16 mpg don't get it anymore....what gripes me is the old L48 ran up and down to Florida and back 15 years ago with L98 injection on it, and with the muncie and same 336 rear it clocked 24 mpg taching nearly 4000 rpm....so WTF??

now I got the overdrive lockup 200 4r...so I got a new chip in here for a stock L98 tune without all the bullshit programming.....and a 650 rpm idle....

:hissyfit:
Click to expand...

Change the lifters. With a new cam, always change the lifters. No matter how "good" they look.
Click to expand...

These are rollers man, not flat tap.....

:cry::flash:
 
Looks like the cam simply wore through the hardened surface is some spots. How many miles? Was it a new cam or a used one w/ rust pits on it? I have reused roller lifters on new cams, never a problem if the rollers are fine. Would however be weid if the rollers are fine and the cam pitted. Details please :) will post your pics later. Looking at the cam, if it is a zz9, is it a very old one? It has a pressed on iron geared end, maybe the 1st ones weren't billet cores.
 
Twin_Turbo said:
Looks like the cam simply wore through the hardened surface is some spots. How many miles? Was it a new cam or a used one w/ rust pits on it? I have reused roller lifters on new cams, never a problem if the rollers are fine. Would however be weid if the rollers are fine and the cam pitted. Details please :) will post your pics later. Looking at the cam, if it is a zz9, is it a very old one? It has a pressed on iron geared end, maybe the 1st ones weren't billet cores.
Click to expand...

I not sure on the miles, because it's been since about this time of year in '97....

and maybe 75k at most miles.....but no matter the miles, a roller cam should run 500k miles without fail....can't tell you any more details....the lifters were fine, under a bright light, and easy flip them around smooth as glass on bearings AND the roller surface.....second time though....
the cam was bought in '97 so old, yes, MILES, not particularly....

at any rate the L98 cam is in there now, top end on the engine, and so for the fire up after plumbing and electric are finished up tmrw....

maybe noon time, 2pm at latest.....

:hissyfit::clobbered:
 
mrvette said:
big2bird said:
mrvette said:
MYBAD79 said:
stuck lifters ???? Maybe the lobes hammered against the lifter ? In this case you should see some evidence on the rollers, the rockers and the pushrods..... springs are fine ??
Click to expand...

I examined all the lifters, they look new, rollers spin fine and look smooth as a baby's ass.....I will pull the rollers from the worst lobes again just 2 B damn sure.....

reason I went to finally change cams was fuel economy a tops of 16 mpg don't get it anymore....what gripes me is the old L48 ran up and down to Florida and back 15 years ago with L98 injection on it, and with the muncie and same 336 rear it clocked 24 mpg taching nearly 4000 rpm....so WTF??

now I got the overdrive lockup 200 4r...so I got a new chip in here for a stock L98 tune without all the bullshit programming.....and a 650 rpm idle....

:hissyfit:
Click to expand...

Change the lifters. With a new cam, always change the lifters. No matter how "good" they look.
Click to expand...

These are rollers man, not flat tap.....

:cry::flash:
Click to expand...

Same rule. Specially if the cam is trash.
 
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