Cam Problems

[VintageMusclecar]

What brand were the lifters?

What was used for assembly lube, the red "taco sauce" or moly paste?

Did any of the lifters go into their bores tight?

If I may offer a tip for future reference...during mock-up I always use a brake cylinder hone and lightly "kiss" the lifter bores to make sure there aren't any boogers or left-over varnish that can hang the lifters up in their bores and keep them from rotating during operation.



If the lifter can't spin it will go flat.

Eric

[kwhizz]

It is the original 66 engine in the car with grooved Rear Cam journal...........
Eric.....I didn't put the Engine together so I can't answer those questions, but it was a detail oriented shop that put it together this time.......No matter what.....It's my problem.......Again

Ken

[Charley Lillard]

I think it was the carbs fault. Who rebuilt it ? :-)

[kwhizz]

[ QUOTE ]
A new LS style engine already has roller lifters in it :-)

[/ QUOTE ]

Then I will be blamed for cloneing the Chevelle into a Corvette...................LOL

Ken

[3macs1]

Hi Ken:
Having the 3/16" wide X 7/64" groove in the rear cam journal is only half of the correct set up for 65/66 BBC from what I can remember.Please correct me guys if I am wrong since it has been many years and I am only going by memory. It has been a few years since I rebuilt a 66 engine. You also have to make sure you have the old style grooved rear cam bearing also and not the 67 and up flat one. The old style has 3 feed holes to supply the cam journals and the two lifter galley passeges vs one hole on the flat 67 and up style. You can use a flat If I recall correctly but as I said it would have had to be soldered and redrilled special for the 66 which I would be suprised the engine overhaul shop did. To me it sounds like the rear cam bearing may not be the old 66 style. If so, you will get some oil but not enough and end up losing the cam, etc.
Do you know if the rear cam bearing was grooved also with the cam.
Joe

[budnate]

Dang..Ken that is terrible..did ya sit down and cry a little I think I would have after all this...

I am sure you double checked but Mac is right on the groove deal..did YOU lay eyes on the right bearing in the back?? the cam should have been grooved already if its a factory replacement piece.

I had similar deal years ago, truly tests your love for the car.

Mark a GTO guy I know does your method and claims it works fine as well...I set them a tick above 2k and let them go and lightly rpm up a little and back to the throttle stop at 2k in 3/5 min intervals, but have not broke a new came in lately and have been watching everyone under the sun have problems...my used cam stash is looking really good about now.

[ANDY M]

I had to replace my cam after the SCR last year, it wiped a lobe. It was a Crane MuscleCar cam, factory grind, less than 2 years old with less than 1500 miles on it.
My engine builder hates Crane, so he told me to go with a Lunati. I ran over to Jegs, (helps to live in Columbus), and the Lunati didn't even make it through the break-in.
The shop had to eat 10 hours of labor and put a Clevite factory grind in. Good thing for me it happened in their shop, and Jegs took back the Lunati, no questions asked.
Runs strong now, with Rotella oil in it.

[RPOL88]

Taking 3MACS1 a bit further, the 66 distributor also has an oil groove all the way around. 1967 and up is only about half way.

[RPOL88]

I said it backwards. 67 up is 360 degrees. 66 is only half way. Sorry for my mistake.

[Verne_Frantz]

If the groove is all the way around there will be no oiling problems no matter how how f'd up the distributor install is, but if it's only half way around, make sure the gear dimple is lined up with the rotor contact. If a distributor is rebuilt and the gear is put back with the dimple 180deg out of phase with the rotor contact, it will result in about a 16deg timing offset. (That position will also affect oiling) To get it to run right, you'll have to twist the distributor WAAAY out of it's normal position to get it timed. (or just switch the plug wires by one tower on the cap). But it will still be pointed the wrong way.

Verne